Seafood

The British press seem to have a tendency to praise acts that aren't born and bred in Blighty, take Trail Of Dead, I mean they’re a very good Sonic Youth tribute act… right? And The Strokes, I love ‘em and everything but they’re basically a more volatile Velvet Underground… yeah?

So why haven’t London noisenik’s Seafood been hyped like the said bands? They take an assortment of influences, The Pixies, Sonic Youth, Husker Du, Pavement and the like, borrow the bits they love, add their own ideas and produce epic songs that are far superior than tracks by their American counterparts... and more importantly they’re an evolution from their childhood classics.

Here we are in the picture-esque Arts Centre, the predictably awful first support band, Schnindler, have been and gone, Seafood’s roadies have lit up the Arts Centre stage with blue 'n' yellow fairy lights, and on come the band to half-hearted applause. Despite the lack of interest, they explode into action with 'This is Not an Exit,' with it's opening line "You know, like the last person alive you can't complain," it acts as a subliminal message to all the unresponsive (and somewhat scary) Fall fans, and a fantastic opening track that gets the 'food fans screaming for more. Not being ones to disappoint Seafood play the first of their new numbers from their upcoming album, 'Pleasure Head' it receives a mixed response from the crowd, as completely new songs normally do, then again it did lack something.

Unlike 'Similar Assassins,' which starts off with guitar noodling, softly spoken vocals and a laidback drumbeat, before exploding in life during the chorus, "Cutthroat is who you know, Similar assassins you and I..." it then gently plods along before fading out with beautiful harmonies from Kev and David.

Then there's the magnificent 'Cloaking,' opened by the sound of Kev fingering his bass and Caroline gently caressing her symbols, before David's guitar, with its I love porn sticker, lets out a random scream of feedback, with Charles joining in the threesome during the second verse. The contrasting playing styles of Seafood's guitarists are almost comical, there's the placid player Charles, he's a bit of a guitar geek, he stands perfectly still concentrating only on his axe and the million and one fx pedals he owns, whilst the dynamic David mentally thrashes his guitar and snarls at the audience _"Get up, Get up, Get up, Get up, Soldier on." Only standing still to flick the hair out of his eyes so he can stare at the crowd.

The highlight of the set was 'In This Light…' a long, freeform, Sonic Youth-esque song, on which Caroline takes lead vocals. Twinkling guitars combine with a lush bass sound, to set a blissful mood, which is broken up by random bursts of guitar feedback.

The set ends with a rawking 'Splinter,' the band swiftly make their way offstage to a crescendo of feedback, which finally destroys my eardrum... and applause! Some band called The Fall played next, but like Seafood, we didn't stick around.

*Setlist: *

This Is Not An Exit

Pleasure Head

Similar Assassins

Cloaking

Western Battle

Porchlight

In This Light...

Splinter