oxbow berlin © os/haireTonite Oxbow/Parts And Labor/Harvey Milk - three bands, three different stories, but they have one thing in common - crossovering rock music.
Some can do it good some can make you feel sorry you where born. The event took place in Festsaal Kreuzberg, the theater-like decoration set the right mood for this crossover-doom music.
harvey milk in berlin © omerschwartz/haireSo, quite right on time (after all, it`s going to be a long night) comes to stage Harvey Milk. They are one of my favorites acts in the last years, and I was really excited to hear they are coming to Berlin. But I know how heavy their music is and it might be wrong to let them open the night. Named after a openly gay politician from San-Fransisco, which has been assassinated in the late 70's, Harvey Milk is actually a group of 4 mid 30's dudes, looks really down to earth kind of people, who just want to rock it away. They released their first album in 95, than still was unknown, probably for their too weird attitude to music. Harvey Milk where too post-rock to be metal and too metal to be indie. Think about a bizzare combination between Slint and Khanate and you won't be even close. As the years goes by their music became more constructed and heavier. Tonite their show starts with "crush them all" from the "Special Wishes" CD and makes the statement for tonight - heavy, hammering and loud. So good. Thick bass lines and precise widely drumming, plus the half singing-half growling singing - made it a unique experience that could have last forever.
partsnlabor in berlin © omerschwartz/haireParts And Labor, on the other hand, was a different story. Like Fuck Buttons, they also started as an freakout noisy unit, taking advantage of all that Boss pedals has to offer. But, as success comes, changed the vibe. Their current live is a failed attempt to make pop-rock into power-electronics noise. They look good, the sound is powerful, but the show is oh so boring. A bit of childish kind of singing which remind me bands like early Green Day and the rest of the 90's punk-rock shit, made me just wanna go home. But I knew what was about to follow up. First there was an orchestral playback, very slow, very dramatic.
Oxbow getting arranged on the stage, trying to get rid of some technical problems with the sounds, the mood was set on. Eugene Robinson is the last one to get on stage, dressed up with fancy suit and gaffer-tape wrapped around his ears. His eyes closed and he stands still when the oxbowish blend of math-rock guitars and the -birthday-party-style blues is giving him the right soundtrack to start making his possessed/epileptic moves. The guy is half speeching half preaching, half singing half screaming. He spits all over himself and kicking the mic stand at the crowd. The whole experience feels like a devil-gospel ceremony, specially when Robinson taking off his clothes from one song to another
revealing paganism tattoos all over his body. The shows was so different from each other which gave the night a very special feeling on what you can do with guitars and drums.
oxbow in berlin © omerschwartz/haire
