That there is no shortage of musical events on the Maltese cultural calendar comes as no surprise to anyone, but last weekend must surely rate among the fullest we’ve had this year.
A fantastic celebration of all things indie in a variety of sounds and styles
There was so much music on offer it was impossible to fit everything into one’s schedule, which unfortunately required some weighing of options on my part to decide what was in or not.
With tickets in hand for the Sunday performance of the 14th edition of Teatru Unplugged (more of that elsewhere on these pages) and a double dose of alternative music (to which I’m more than a little inclined) taking place at V-Gen in Paceville, I had no choice but to pass on several gigs, among them the Diversity Blend Festival in Dingli.
That event, headlined by Tribali and Ira Losco, went rather well I’ve been told, so I’m hoping there will be another edition that I will make sure to attend.
I had little time to wonder what was going on in Dingli, however, given that Friday night was also the first night of the Nil By Mouth Sessions.
With a line-up boasting Stalko and Lumiere as well as Sicilian post-rock act Eimog, this two-day event was a must for every alternative music fan worth his salt.
Stalko’s set wasn’t faultless – few live performances ever are – but it was captivating nonetheless. It’s probably to do with the band’s acoustic backbone that Stalko’s magic seems to work better in cosier spaces, but a little more effort from the audience at the back to stop talking and listen (which is what they paid for anyway) would have done wonders in helping to create the right ambiance for this kind of music.
That aside, one cannot overlook the way Tim and Mike’s contrasting vocal harmonies blend so well together to give such a unique and fascinating effect to the songs.
Laced with delicate pop intricacies, Stalko’s canon effectively conjures up a feeling of eloquence that has been a prime factor in attracting such a warm, positive response in the short time the band has been in the public eye. Check out their recent release In A Hurry for the perfect example of how, and why their music works so well.
Performing a second date wasn’t actually in Lumiere’s plans when they ended a six-year hiatus and got together for a one-off reunion gig last October. Though well-attended, that event’s prestige may have been slightly marred by wavering sound quality but as they say, every cloud has a silver lining, because Lumiere snapped up the invitation to perform at Nil By Mouth and strut their stuff onstage again.
This they did; more intensely and more passionately too, it seemed from where I was standing. Serving up an explosive set, the band was unstoppable on the night, to the point that I dare say this was one of their best performances ever.
Seeing them in such great form makes it all the more disappointing that this reunion is only temporary, though one must also appreciate the other, equally worthy projects that Lumiere’s split eventually made way for. On a brighter note, the word is that rehearsals for this gig have re-ignited an enthusiastic creative spark within the Lumiere camp – a glimmer of hope that we may not have to wait so long for another live appearance, perhaps?
Having flown in from Sicily to give Malta its first taste of full-on live post-rock grandeur, Eimog transformed into this magnificent musical beast – five individual members working in unison to create what I prefer to call epic musical installations rather than songs.
Soaring layers upon layers of guitars guided firmly by a robust rhythm section had the audience transfixed, engulfing every nook and cranny of the venue and every one of the people standing in front of the stage, absorbing every ebbing chord, every swirling movement to the point of elevating the performance to a quasi-spiritual experience.
Serving up tracks from their masterful debut album, Eimog’s performance was nothing short of breath-taking, throwing musical shapes that ranged from the most intimate of singular notes to rippling cascades of ethereal melodies, all shrouded in a heavenly blue light that lent the whole performance a more than appropriate otherworldly feel.
Saturday night opened with a high-octane performance from Dolls for Idols, a young band with enough ambition and rock ’n’ roll swagger to match their infectious brand of guitar-driven mesh of synthpop and post-punk inflections.
Clearly still pumped up from releasing their debut album just a few weeks back, Dolls wasted no time in kickstarting the party with a set that featured livewire numbers such as current single Rave ’n’ Roll, breakthrough hit Dance the dance as well as brand new track Marilyn Monroe.
With the crowd nicely warmed up, Areola Treat came on and delivered an immaculately brilliant performance that I felt packed even more bite than all the other times I’ve seen them play this past year put together.
Possibly spurred on by the healthy turnout as well as the electric vibe in the air, Areola Treat pummelled through their set with great flair, a large part of which was embodied in the commanding presence of vocalist Lisa Micallef Grimaud, the event’s only female singer.
Serving up a mixture of tracks from both their debut EP and this year’s magnanimous Pleasure Machines album, the band’s moshpit-fuelling set emphasised its eclectic array of references; from punk inflections to Gothic overtones by way of post-punk and indie rock.
Saving the best for last, the set’s crowning moment was the engaging extended outro to closing number Second Coming. Epic from start to finish, no question about it.
Last but not least, Edinburgh’s finest, and newest musical discovery Discopolis – three young lads armed with two guitars, synths, a Mac and a knack for highly appealing rhythmic musical patterns.
The soaring melodic hooks, draped by Fergus Cook’s particular vocal timbre and the pulsating beats at the core of Discopolis’ music, certainly sank in well with the crowd (incidentally including a good number of fellow Scots) transforming it into a moving mass of bodies swaying to the music and bringing the Nil By Mouth sessions to a fitting end, well the main stage anyway, as Danjeli and Capitol K then took over, mixing their beats and sounds from the DJ deck.
A big thumbs-up to Hairy Amp and The Goo Boy and all involved for their hard work in staging possibly one of the best live events of the year.
bugeja.michael@gmail.com