OFF: Outskirts of Infinity & The Bevis Frond @ The Standard, Walthamstow, 10th October 2004

[Jon Jarrett]

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004, Brian Halligan wrote:

> Thanks for the show review. I haven't seen the band with Paul and Jules
> in the lineup and it was interesting to hear your take on how Paul and
> Nick interact as guitarists. I was hoping they would recreate their
> chemistry from the excellent Scorched Earth album, but that was a
> record/band that had a more egalitarian focus.

        I would love to see them do a couple of Scorched Earth tracks
live, but I don't suppose it'll happen. Adrian wasn't on that of course,
but I'm sure he could cope with what is, after all, not a bass-focussed
project.

        That said, when that project was in its first offings, Nick's
mail-out talked about exorcising his and Paul's Monster Magnet and Sabbath
demons. I love the result, but I can't help feeling we're still waiting
for an album answering that description. Given their mutual ear for The
Riff, Paul and Nick could do that pretty well I think (and hell, Paul's
doing nothing else at the moment :-( ).

> Of course, the Walthamstow gig was  just one of a scarce few dates the
> Frond has played lately. Gearing up for full-on tour might "unleash the
> beasts" so to speak.

        I think it might, if only because Paul would get bored. I don't
think Nick wants to tour that intensively *ever* though.

> Do your reservations about the current lineup extend to Hit Squad? I'd
> say it's among their best records thanks in part to the addition of
> Jules on drums. Paul's contribution also helps, though he's basically
> relegated to a guest role a la Bari Watts on previous Frond albums.

        No, I like _Hit Squad_. <Pavlovian leap to CD player... > My
reservations don't extend to Jules full-stop, I think he's a good thing. I
liked Andy Ward's drumming too but Jules seems to have more attack, if not
the same unusual ear for spaces in the rhythm. I can't really tell where
Paul is on _Hit Squad_ though, it's not like Bari where you always know
when his guitar gets going ("Haven't I heard this excellent solo somewhere
before?" Why he's so much more inventive live I'm not quite sure). But as
Frond, it's top stuff; songs as ever great, a couple of long pieces (and
`Fast Falls The Eventide' is very powerful I think), and a few real
rockers which _What Did For the Dinosaurs_ rather lacked I felt. Couple of
nothing tracks (I don't go much on `Way Back When' or `It's a Gut
Thing') but it's a great album and I'm glad Nick pushed himself to do it,
it shows that he's made the extra effort IMO. Classic artwork also
:-) Yours,
            Jon

ObCD: The Bevis Frond - _Hit Squad_
--
                Jonathan Jarrett, Birkbeck College, London
    jjarrett at chiark.greenend.org.uk/ejarr01 at students.bbk.ac.uk
  "As much as the vision of the blind man improves with the rising sun,
       So too does the intelligence of the fool after good advice."
       (Bishop Theodulf of Orleans, late-eight/early-ninth century)