LIVE REVIEW: PLUG, Milktooth. 13/03/24, San Fran (eyegum wednesday), Wellington.

 

LIVE REVIEW: PLUG, Milktooth. 13/03/24, San Fran (eyegum wednesday), Wellington.

 

 

it might be corny, but I really do like an eyegum wednesday. the beer's cheap, it's classier then the usual rock and roll venue and, thanks to the curators, the bands are always pretty damn good. unfortunately i've found my self in the minority here because last night's show was less then packed. i got there just after it started, but before the bands went on, and there was at most 10 people in the room. it's only the second one they've done all year, have we already moved on? you people disappoint me.

i got the odd impression that most of the people in the venue were there on accident, because they wanted to go to their favourite bar and unwind, not to see a rock show. during opening band PLUG, the talking at the back of the room was louder than the band, and the smoking area was stuffed full of people the entire night. in spite of these initial setbacks, people did start filtering in during the bands, with a mostly filled room by the last song of the last band. i left while the anonymous DJ was starting up, and, curiously, people were still walking in as i was descending to the street level.

that's a shame too, because PLUG was really on form tonight. i caught them at newtown fest and thought that their ramshackle set was some kind of a fluke but evidently not. they play a kind of punk music that sounds like Black Flag or the Dead Kennedys never existed. devoid of dogmatic hardcore energy, we're left with a kind of hard driving heavy rock a-la the MC5, or the Sex Pistols, if they were good. complete with some Stooges-esq wah wah and an unsanitary harmonica hidden in the crotch of the singers jorts(!) they clearly know their act and they don’t relent until everyone in the room has been thoroughly meanaced. It was a truly wonderful show. it’s probably the first time i’ve seen someone smash their pedal board as opposed to their guitar. when they came off the stage it was littered with sweat and scattered effects boxes. very white hot like ultra.

after them we got treated to headline band Milktooth, who do some kind of a electronic dance jazz ambience thing. i'm glad to have caught them before they broke up (this was their second to last show), but it felt like a weird running order. Energy wise PLUG blew these guys right off the stage, but they rose to the occasion and put on an enjoyable set. it was all very mellow and trippy but i was ambivalent. i think they could have benefited from a change in context. i would have really enjoyed them in some kind of a big theatre, complete with plush seating and fog machines, but through san fran’s rock band PA and the audience being forced to stand awkwardly on the sticky dancefloor the effect they’re going for comes across as a strange muted version of it’s self. electronic music requires the clarity and volume a big speaker system provides and san fran really wasn’t the right atmosphere for this kind of thing. there was no full on raving that night, just some mild frugging from the very most front row. i liked their music but i’d really rather hear it at home then at a bar.

in all i’m kind of left in a weird mood reflecting on this show. it ended not with a bang but a whimper, but it wasn’t the band’s fault. maybe the line up didn’t have enough starpower to attract a good crowd, which in turn brought on less then perfect performances, or maybe you people are just resistant to good music. i’m happy i went and if you haven’t seen PLUG before you’re missing out, but this was far from a life changing show. come find me next wednesday and i’ll publish anything you say to me. i’m serious. hold me to this.

~ O  

(author’s note: this is a photo of the setlist i got from PLUG. notice something? it’s written on what i think is baking paper. it’s some kind of semi-clear plastic feeling thing. i’ve been stealing setlists from bands since i’ve been going to concerts and i’ve never seen that. very strange.)