Bare Grillz, In the Dollhouse, Polyfox and the Union of Most Ghosts @ the Croatian Club, Wickham 18/06/2010

This is Newcastle. We like our conflicts. We need things to hold on to, to believe in, and to fight for. And so it was, a couple of nights after game two of the State of Origin (inflamed by a race row of ‘our’ Joey’s sparking), a sizable, diverse crowd converged upon the Croatian Club for three rather different local acts. Just the week before, at a somewhat noisier event at the same venue, a performer was interrupted by one of the older clientele, who berated him – and by association all young people – for the volume of the ‘music’ disrupting his thought processes. There would be no repeat tonight, proceedings were altogether agreeable. Still, the television in the back corner provocatively pitted Serbia against Germany in World Cup battle, and several cliques formed in the audience, generally along friends-with-artists lines. Drawn in by these friendships and the free cover charge (part of an exciting two-month initiative at the Croatian instigated by Chris Hearn), loosened by the cheap Polish beers, Newcastle’s often-apathetic gig-goers were given something to really believe in.

First up was the lovable scamp Nick French, who under the guise of Polyfox and the Union of Most Ghosts, is Newcastle’s preeminent purveyor of hypnagogic pop. Or something. There’s a dreamlike quality to French’s songs, which haphazardly combine Durutti Column-like guitars, manipulated Nintendo DS sounds, and softly spoken banter, with newly found vocals buried low in the mix. His songs are playful and yet, through the wonders of repetition, tinged with a sad nostalgia. Polyfox look set to soon become more of a band set-up and it will be interesting to see whether this will significantly flesh out the miniature pop-hits that remain hidden to the casual listener.

Next came In the Dollhouse’s stately set. Shoegaze-inspired but rather more gothic/murder ballad in actuality, the four-piece brought a polished (one might even say ‘stadium-ready’) sound to the night. Each song seemed to reach for a grand emotional pull, but lacking the nuance to consistently engage, fell slightly short. Still, there’s nothing wrong with having big ambitions, and Newcastle can only benefit from their continued presence.

The night’s highlight – disregarding Lukas Podolski’s shonk of a penalty kick – was undoubtedly Bare Grillz, a three-piece who’ve been banging some serious heads about town for a few months now. Having set up on the dance-floor, as opposed to the preceding acts that chose the stage, they drew the dispersed audience members into something resembling a huddle and lead them in a ritualistic dance. All skittering polyrhythms, spindly guitars and shouty group chanting about nothing particularly discernable, Bare Grillz invite obvious comparisons, namely to L.A.’s Abe Vigoda – just without the tropical hang-up. A snapped guitar string wasn’t enough to stop the momentum: the stage heaved, taken over by warm moving bodies, and the drumkit practically became airborne. Bare Grillz have come quite a way since their first show in April, and while it’s arguable they still lack actual songs, their unrelenting energy makes for an exhilarating live experience.

On tonight’s showing, I think Newcastle’s live scene, always vibrant, just got that bit more inclusive. Like the small group of gig-goers witnessed afterwards repeating their drunken actions for the narcissistic purpose of a photographic record, I’d like to have written more about Newcastle’s nascent music scene, as it remains sadly under-documented (and, sheee-it, I’m not entirely altruistic – it would’ve reflected well on me), but alas I’m almost out of here.

[Bare Grillz / In The Dollhouse / Polyfox]