Bear Driver / Melox Marvels
19.11.09
Bear Driver started out in 2008 in Leeds over a mutual appreciation of Radiohead, The Beatles, Joanna Newsom and The National. They recorded their debut EP 'Paws and Claws' in bedrooms and self-released it in May 2009, followed by a ltd edition vinyl on Dance To The Radio who released 'Mind Attack' in July 09.
http://www.myspace.com/thebeardriver
Melox marvels are Chris Hutchings' (Grace Drummer) current project. They play pop music with big hopes and skyscraping ideas. They are a three piece who a create a cacophony of soundscapes and heartbreaks. Taking a lead from talking heads this is a band that give hope to the hopeless.
http://www.myspace.com/meloxmarvels
He Said - Bear Driver
Bear Driver - A name on first hearing I thought so abominable I laughed at her for suggesting that we review them. But she assures me that the tip off was from a reliable source so we went down. But really readers Bear Driver... It might just be me but I think its god awful.
The gig was upstairs at the newly christened Black Heart, a bar dark in colour and rich in religious iconography. There is something intrinsically exciting about the dark underbelly of the opium of the masses, that's why religion & music will always be fuck buddies and never man and wife.
I climb the winding staircase in the far right of the bar up to the top floor to be greeted with the heaving throng of 50 people in room fit to hold three times that number, but attendance does not always equal history... I mean there were only 13 people at the last supper.
Bear Driver (I still don't like it) adorn their stage with a peacocks feather while the lead singer covers his face in glitter. They are a four piece from Leeds but have subtle influences of NY & E1. Their music has an undeniable child like quality of innocence, in parts the lyrics fall into a nursery rhyme rhythmic chant. I do not mean this as a disservice or to in anyway to undermine Bear Driver, our proud practitioners of sun drenched pop.
The harsh juxtaposition between band and setting make it all the more enticing, its like the Hare Krishna has come to play the nightclub Judas bought with his 30 pieces of silver which has been situated somewhere between Hoxton and Hades.
Their music has a small lo-fi charm to it but done in an epic way. My favourite of the pack was 'No Time to Speak', a genuinely great song with a beautifully driven melody. Their influences are clear delicately crafted pop songs and Bear Driver present their wears with soaring chorus's and a D.I.Y ethic.
This being a hesaidshesaid double header my companion has retired to a dark corner to interview the support act while it is left to me to talk to Bear Driver's Drummer. I resist temptation to lambast them on their name choice and enquire how long they have been playing together...
"I have never played with them before, it's my first gig"
Luckily even with bad names and ambivalent drummers I can't help but warm to Bear Driver. Even if this is the winter of our true discontent then the music of Bear Driver does offer a hope of sunny summers to come. Pop music with a glint in its eye and a sparkle on its cheek.
She Said - Melox Marvels
We actually came to see Bear Driver but I kind of fell in love a bit tonight so am rebelling and writing about the support act, Melox Marvels, instead. My gig companion was in a frightful mood. Looking at him I think he'd been in bed all day, I couldn't get a word out of him unless it was to say "more beer". The pit of self loathing had swallowed him up and he was perfectly happy to wallow there for a bit.
So I felt a little lonely that evening and as the lights lowered for the first act I let out a rather loud sigh. Luckily a saviour was in sight with a nerdy persona. Heavy glasses, preppy stiff shirt, guitar strapped closely to his chest. A bit like David Byrne or Buddy Holly. I'm quite taken with men with glasses so I paid attention. I wasn't expecting such a confident performance from this rather particular looking boy. But maybe that's why I warmed to him so quickly... A bit like Susan Boyle I guess (I'm not comparing him in any way to SuBo btw - it was just a bit of a shock).
I had a little chat with Chris Hutchins, the lead in this trio, to find out if this nerdy bravado was sincere. It seems the lightning sound effects slicing through tracks like Cavendish Drive take their influences from computer games; one of his favourite accomplishments is completing Final Fantasy 7.
We got onto the subject of musical influences (I know! I must have been trying to impress him or something). I got slightly worried that he may be one of those shy retiring types that turn out to be nutter when we talked about Radiohead:
Chris - "They make you want to kill everyone because you start believing you're the only one who isn't sane. And Prince is..."
I was a bit shocked by this statement. Totally lost my drift and got stuck in an alternative universe were he and I were in Natural Born Killers...
Chris - "But I think yeah, changing the name might help"
Me - "You think Prince should change his name?"
Chris - "No! I said I should change our name. It's not very easy to remember. I wouldn't change Prince's name again, last time was a disaster. That man can't be trusted with names..."
After this brief encounter I turned to the moody one. I wasn't really bothered about the next band, for me Melox Marvels were top of the bill. I just wanted to go home and have a cup of camomile tea. So I popped out the back door and left him to it. I doubt he even noticed I'd gone...
