Live

volcano!

Kev Eddy 30/05/2006

Isn't it amazing how the most interesting noises can come from the most unassuming of people? The three boys who make up Volcano! (and yes, they're boys. I'm surprised they let them out of the States without their mum) look incredibly unassuming. In fact, some of the audience don't even notice when they creep onto the Luminaire's cramped stage, surrounded by drumkits and samplers.

But when they start creating a noise, you simply have to sit up and take notice. It's a paradoxical live show - at once atonal but rhythmic, intricately layered yet created by just three people. It's a primally charged show, held together by some absolutely incredible drumming. At times they threaten to disappear far too far into experimental interludes, but have the nous to rein it back in and remember to play real songs too.

And what songs they've got. Take it Easy, Fire Fire and $40,000 Plus Interest all benefit wildly from an infectious live energy, but it's the pre-encore Apple or a Gun which proves to be the euphoric highlight, with the screamed refrain of 'So what would you have done? What would you have done?' descending into unconstructed noise, before tricking you into one of the mostly insistently poppy 30 seconds of music that the Luminaire has probably heard for quite some time.

Yes, they're bloody pretentious. Yes, they're a band to show off your obscurist tendencies with. They're certainly not going to be everyone's cup of tea. But, if you're a can of atonal dischord combined with a keen sense of songwriting, then they're certainly worth looking out for.