That’s it, I’ve remembered why I opened the review with that piece of dual historical excellence – a synaptic light has just shined upon the parallel. Liars’ show at the Corner Hotel on this pristine winter’s night was a one-hour celebration of primal beats, guttural growls and dystopian harmonies that harked upon the most visceral of emotions.
No one ‘gets’ Liars – you just experience Liars. Their show opened with a flood of intensity in both visuals and music. Lead singer/guitarist and Aussie expat Angus Andrew is an intimidating figure yet there was an absurdity to his appearance that contradicted this glower. Andrew was wearing a woollen tea cosy beanie with fake blonde hair splaying out from the lining. This was an obvious hat tip to the cover art on their latest album Mess that was released last month. On this thread (pun intended) quasi title track Mess on a Mission was a sensory overload as projections and mind-numbing bass attempted to lobotomise those in attendance.
Comparing tonight’s set to the last time Liars were at the Corner Hotel – I think it was 2008 – was very satisfying for me because back then it was a handful of fans and the remainder was made up by industry types presumably on freebies who were just there to checkout a Berlin buzz band (Liars’ breakthrough album Drums Not Dead was written and recorded in the German city).
One of the reasons for this leap from the perimeter to the centre of indie popularity was 2012’s long-player WIXIW (pronounced ‘wish you’), in particular No. 1 Against the Rush. Tonight’s rendition of the said song was on steroids and then some. However, heavy bass intro with a warbling melody over the top still reminded me of Icehouse’s Great Southern Land (if you don’t believe me, listen to one with the other in mind).
The music ended and I exhaled the delicious discomfort Liars had thrust into me during their opening Salvo.
BY DENVER MAXX
Loved: That, in theme with the night, I could lie all night.
Hated: Nothing it was perfect. Wait, it was terrible.
Drank: I fucking hate House Rules… Wait, I love House Rules.
