Japandroids at The Garage
Japandroids – The Relentless Garage – 20 May 2010
Words and photo’s by Michael Dickinson
“If we fuck up and you notice we’ll get everyone a free drink” so proclaims guitarist Brian King who could, very well, become everybody’s new best friend by the end of the song. Drummer David Prowse isn’t too worried about where his next drink is coming from as he takes another swig from a bottle of Maker’s Mark perched on the amp next to him.
It’s a win-win situation for the crowd. They fuck up, everyone’s a little bit more merry. If they are note perfect we’ve just enjoyed their newest song in a night littered with thunderously memorable and enjoyable tunes. Truly this is music to rock out with one’s cock out. Brian King and David Prowse, from the lovely city of Vancouver have developed a loyal following over here which is set to grow judging by the skills on show tonight. The pair make for easy company on stage, always looking like they are enjoying themselves and loving the appreciative crowd. Despite there being only two you could be forgiven for thinking that a band the size of Polyphonic Spree had turned up. Prowse bangs the drums without mercy creating an almost tribal effect in the process. King’s guitar takes us from punk energy to industrial feedback to riffing ‘Enter Sandman’.
The crowd is split between to definite groups. The polite, Mojo readers, stood with drink in hand and enjoying the show and the long haired, “YYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHH” rockers who do their best to start a mosh pit going. (Plus two drunk morons stood in front of me who decide to touch themselves up and dance “real funny like”). That alone shows the bands appeal across the rock boundaries.
The set includes tracks from their EP collection ‘No Singles’, album “Post-Nothing” and new single “Art Czars”. It’s an interesting proposition to listen to all these tunes recorded over the last four years. You can almost hear the duo’s writing abilities in development with each newer song. Toward the end of the set when King announces “this is a really old song” and you can tell, from the simple words and the basic tune. Compared to their new stuff which is some kind of wonderful hybrid of Charlotte Gainsbourg and AFI.
Japandroids offer a very rare thing in these times, unpretentious music for an unpretentious listener. They’re not trying to sell you any ideals, image or style . They play music. They play damn fine music. Dark riffs and devastating drums all done with a wink and a smile.
“Fuck you that was perfect” King tells us as they finish their brand new song. “No free drinks”. Cheers sound louder than a few scattered groans. Placing a fiver in my girlfriends hand I tell her to get us both a drink “and make them singles”.
