Those of use who live amongst the local independent scene are well initiated with the many incarnations of Zayd Marcel Thring. There is no denying the effervescent force that exudes from the man when he takes to the stage, whether it be with Pets With Pets, Towels or his latest project Ladydreams.
The music is at times so cheesy it’s almost cringe worthy but live Thring execute’s his tunes with such passionate mayhem that it overrides the cliche. Ladydreams have a weird aesthetic, with half the band looking very into their sound, while the keyboardist and bass player looked to be bored shitless onstage. Technically they play well together with Ash Buscombe leading the charge on drums during the long instrumental pause that ensued while their guitarist ran off to fix his broken string. The sound mix was a bit off, with the vocals at times lost in the guitar fuzz, although with Thring one can never be sure if this was intentional or not.
If Ladydreams spent as much time rehearsing as they do dicking around they’d be a much tighter band, but as it was on this occasion, which was only their seventh live performance, their set was lively and engaging and is bound to improve as they notch more shows into their belts.
Brooklyn’s ever evolving rhythm experiment Aa (pronounced Big A little a) are the most intense live band I have ever seen. Fresh from their appearance at Camp A Low Hum, the three piece play with such a fierce passion that I was involuntarily convulsing along to the music as I couldn’t stop my body from moving to their sound. They know how to work their atmospherics, building slowly with a long, bell chiming introduction before exploding in a haze of poly-rhythms and electronics that encompasses a little bit of everything from dub step, to post rock to trance and tribal beats.
Aa go nuts onstage, at times enshrouded in darkness before erupting in a sea of strobe and flailing limbs. Their artistry and technical ability is nothing short of amazing and it’s impossible not to loose yourself in their sound as the band transport you to another plane of existence with the fantastical nature of their live performance. They’re one of those bands that need to be seen to be believed as words are not adequate to describe the sweet manic bliss that was experienced during their set.
