The Melvins blew into SO36 on Saturday evening. Supported by Porn and Big Business, each comprising members of the headline act.
The Melvins twenty five year career has seen them take a number of detours but tonight, augmented with a second drummer they are tight.
The evening gets of to a wobbly start with Dale Crover’s band Porn who treat us to one too many drum solos and some self indulgent jazz-metal but improves as Big Business take the stage. They are joined by King Buzzo and everything is kicked up a notch. Suddenly the sludge metal riff-fest takes on a new urgency.
Buzzo, who looks like an unholy hybrid of Paul Morley and Robert Smith with Sideshow Bob’s hair, sports a grey kimono wrapped around his not inconsiderable girth but his commanding stage presence quickly dispels the image of Uncle Fester and the crowd are up for it.
The two drummers allow the Melvins to explore some exotic time signatures but the band are taut enough to never forget the audience. When the energy level sags a little
Crover and Willis snap into a precise 4/4 mitigating Buzzo’s jazzier instincts and keeping the sound close to its hardcore roots.
The evening ends with Jared Warren serenading us from the abandoned stage.
No encore.
See the Melvins latest video here