The Dillinger Escape Plan at Barfly
The Dillinger Escape Plan – Barfly – 12 February 2010
Words and photo’s by Michael Dickinson
On a cold and rainy Friday afternoon passers-by looked on with confusion at the hundred strong crowd waiting outside Barfly. Clearly they didn’t realize the importance of the event that was about to occur. The Dillinger Escape Plan were playing inside! Performing the first of the days two shows I was under some kind of impression that the afternoon set would be a relatively quiet affair with a few die hards in attendance along with some press. Oh was I mistaken. This was the only day the band were to play the UK. As part of a brief European tour before they kick off a vast number of dates of in the US, in support of their new album Option Paralysis, fans have flocked en masse to see their heroes. Standing in line I feel like a complete fraud. Fans rock the band tees and hoodies, one guy even sports a tattoo of the band. People have travelled in from Norwich and Nottingham (I know it’s not exactly Timbuktu but the commitment was still impressive). There I stand as the interloper who was only just introduced to the band’s music a couple weeks before. This band is HARD. Mixing up hardcore punk with flourishes of jazz funk, thundering metal and a little bit of prog rock, anybody with a simple love of good musicianship can find much to like. If you enjoy the epic, hard groove of Fucked Up or Acid Mothers Temple I can strongly recommend. Preparing myself for the gig I had two of the groups previous albums; Miss Machine and Ire Works, on heavy rotation on my I-Pod. Unfortunately as I walk into Barfly the last two songs to play on it are Roy Orbison and Grace Jones…
Fans rushed to get their spot at the front of the stage. Everyone had their place, everything seemed a bit subdued. This started to change as whispers circulated that the band weren’t coming on for another hour. Initially I overheard folks saying “Awesome they’re building the tension” but within half an hour that enthusiasm switched to fans hollering “Where are you?” in their best metal growl. As if they could sense the building frustration the band suddenly appeared on stage in a cloud of smoke. Before anyone had anytime to think they plough straight into their first song.
The energy the band invest in their first song rivals the manic onstage moments of The Mars Volta, only this pace never lets up. Lead singer Greg Puciato moved with constant purpose. Getting right into the face of the crowd he clearly loved the fact that the devoted crowd knew all the words. He cuts a menacing figure on stage, arms that would make Popeye feel inadequate and a growl that would send a shudder through the pits of hell, he gave full commitment to the song. Being unfamiliar with many of the tracks I often found myself lost as to what song was being sung. This wasn’t helped by sounds levels that often left Puciato almost inaudible.
Guitarists Ben Weinman and Jeff Tuttle bookended the stage, both using what little space they had to great effect. Weinman came across as the more technical of the two men but that didn’t stop him from jumping up the drum kit and speakers launching into the air as though he had flubber in his shoes. One unlucky women at the front of the stage received Weinman’s foot in her chest when his furious feet slipped off the stage for a moment. Not that she minded – I think there were some fans jealous that they had not had the same act of favoritism bestowed on them. Elsewhere on stage Tuttle played with such veracity you’d think his hands had been possessed Evil Dead 2 style. Tuttle delights in getting up close with the fans – who by song three have already started crowd surfing – a couple of times he was hoisted up high by people at the front of stage, never missing a beat though. Back on stage drummer Billy Rymer and bassist Liam Wilson are clearly enjoying themselves as much as the fans, seeming to enter into a competition with the crowd to see who can head bang the hardest. Remember he who head bangs hard head bangs longest!
Despite touring in promotion of new work the set is a fine mix of songs old, new and loved. The sound levels sometimes makes it difficult to distinguish where one track ends and other begins. After a while though this matters not. The energy the band created and the atmosphere in the crowd gave no option but for me to enter into the head banging contest as well. I came in joint 33rd place along with an emo kid called Miles. There were a few moments where things mellowed, Weinman produced a Kurzweil PC88 and Puciato put his growl to one side to reveal a very strong, melodic voice – for me the quieter moments where the musical highlights of the event.
Within the space of an hour Dillinger have fired out an impressive 14 songs. In a few hours time they will have to do it again to what will no doubt be another crowd of loving followers. The crowd roar with appreciation as Tuttle closes the gig with a brief solo at the back of the room on top of the bar. The fans seem happy, including this new fan. To those like me who are new to the word of Dillinger I urge you to get involved, if ever they are back to our fair shores become a part of the plan. Now if you excuse me, Mr. Tuttle you’re foot is in my pint.
February 21st, 2010
Great read Michael,
I saw these guys a couple of times what must have been about ten years ago. Once he even threw his own faeces at me. Glad to hear they’re still as exciting as ever.