Pit er Pat

Where, exactly, does one start? Okay, the back it is: Pit er Pat’s triumvirate of ear-tickling post-rockin’ instru-twiddlers refers to their drummer as Butchy. Yes, Butchy. One can only hope that said sticksman’s parents call him something else; that, or we’re simply not in on some Chicago scene joke. Name twaddle aside, the man dazzles: his delicate beats are both considered and free of flow, immediately accessible yet resolutely avant-garde in their structure. Yet, would you expect anything else from a band wholeheartedly attached to the preconceived Chicago sound: that of jazz-inflected rock music patented by a slew of other one-time mavericks.

Of course, while Pit er Pat’s music does not amaze in the way it would have done had it appeared some years sooner than this (Tim Kinsella’s Make Believe rather stole their thunder, chez Diver at least), the trio entrance for the entirety of their debut London show. Fay Davis-Jeffers’ sinewy digits criss-cross from far-right key to far-left, her red-hued organ emitting a multi-coloured concoction of complex rhythms and fairy dusted tinkles; stars shoot freely from her fingertips. Rob Doran, he of large bass guitar, is the glue that binds all into a unit of coherency over chaos: not once is a beat missed; his synchronous relationship with Butchy absolutely polished and perfected.

The songs lifted from recent long-player Shakey suffer slightly from the venue’s overly bombastic acoustics – this is a bad who could be afforded a little less volume to benefit their subtleties – but sound fantastic nonetheless. Better still though is ‘Diamond Messages’ from their forthcoming (released September 12th) EP 3D Message: a rip-roarin' and punk-rockin’ oddity in a set focused on musical advancement, its primitive screech 'n' scratch is soul empowering. Not that the more artsy material doesn't impress: truth be told, all and sundry are left smiling from ear left to its right counterpart come the set's end.

And that end? It’s quiet and fuss-free: band sells merch and shoots the verbal shit with those that’ve stuck around. The air is alive with positivity, with joy and celebration; one can only hope that Pit er Pat’s next visit to our capital is sooner rather than later.