Japanese noise rock band Melt-Banana are known for speed, energy and experimentation. Dropping in for a whirlwind gig as part of hurricane of a world tour, they subjected Rescue Rooms to a dose of that legendary power...
There are nights that make your heart beat that bit faster, you realise why you love music and what it is to be alive. Melt-Banana and Arch Femmesis at Rescue Rooms was one of those nights.
A really early start, that caught me out and also nearly caught out Zera from supporting act Arch Femmesis. Stunning, both visually and musically. They played a mesmerising set of dance/ electronica/ hard-core queer feminist punk which pleased the audience no end and got everyone dancing. During a brief chat to Zera afterwards, thanking them, they revealed they only arrived around 6pm themselves. All good though. They played a thunderstorm of a set. Great fluorescent shirts and artwork for sale afterwards, all self-designed.
A shortish wait for Melt-Banana, a band I've wanted to see for ages but missed, probably due to work schedules; this time I was determined not to miss out. They're a long term un-definable and extraordinarily different band from Japan, on a 25-date tour, which sounds as intense and relentless as their music. A favourite of John Peel, who introduced them to me, they hardly stopped during the set, only to mention the tour, thanking everyone for turning up in Nottingham again and to wipe the sweat off their faces, such was the ferocity and magnitude of their whirlwind performance.
Sometimes weird, sometimes rhythmic, always fascinating. This was pure entertainment. Staff looked on with mild concern at the mosh pit, but all was fine and after the last few years it is heart-warming to see interactions back to affectionate normality. Yasuko Onuki twisted around making full use of the flexibility of her Orbit controller... I was mesmerised, but then bright shiny things always catch my eye. There was a brilliant accompanying light show too.
Some quick checks on the laptop between songs, a pedal switched on or off and they were away again. Shying away from making themselves the visual attention both Yasuko Onuki and Ichiro Agata leave it primarily to the music and the light show.
Called back for an encore they played a rash of songs all less than a minute long before a final extended one.
What is a rock band that doesn't rock (as Oasis were described last week)? Tonight, as always, Melt Banana showed how to rock. Absolutely astounding.
Melt Banana performed at Rescue Rooms on 31st August 2024, with support from Arch Femmesis.
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