The Null Device
2002/5/9
Some nutter has been placing pipe bombs in mailboxes in the US midwest, along with letters about why death is an illusion perpetuated by the government to instill obedience. Now it turns out that the bomber may be the frontman of a grunge band named Apathy. Perhaps it's a case of terrorism being the last true form of performance art, to paraphrase Laurie Anderson.
The Ninetynine show tonight rocked.
They played mostly new material.
Their first song was in three parts, with an instrument swap in the middle of the song. Kind of like Stereolab, only without the pretentiousness.
Other new pieces showed a more layered, textured sound, though with no lack of punk-rock energy. (During one of Cameron's intense, violin-based pieces,
I was reminded of Fourplay's Gypsy Scream.)
And they successfully managed to make Casiotone keyboards sound unironic, which
is quite a feat.
It looks like the next Ninetynine album (hopefully out before they set off for
their tour in October) is set to be quite doovy.
Oh, and Preston School of Industry weren't bad either. They played a tight wall-of-noise rock/pop, with driving basslines and jangling guitars, and the odd My Bloody Valentine moment or two. Since this was at the Tote, Collingwood's premier hardcore/metal venue, someone in the audience kept calling out "PLAY SOME SLAYER" and such.