Auf Der Maur

Stepping out of the shadow of two of alt-rock’s royalty is never easy. And let’s face it – how many female bassists could you name who’ve made the successful transition to frontperson? (Kim Deal doesn’t count cos she plays guitar now, OK?!!) So it’s a breath of fresh air to see the ex-Hole, ex-Smashing Pumpkin make such a big splash with her new project, Auf Der Maur.

One thing that is immediately obvious tonight is that her band’s set is perfectly designed for a venue as voluminous as The Apollo. The guitars crunch, the drums boom and Melissa commands the mic with a presence that belies her lack of experience at the front of a stage. There’s something pleasantly unnerving about watching a girl pull rock shapes like a boy, but that’s exactly what she does – even down to the songs, which reference everyone from Queens Of The Stone Age to Billy Corgan’s defunct troupe. That it largely sounds convincing is much to her credit.

It’s not until towards the end of the set that you even get the impression Melissa’s listened to even, say, a Polly Harvey record. And why the fuck should she, when she obviously knows exactly how she wants it all to sound?

Although James Iha manages to gatecrash the lowpoint of an otherwise assured set, the perfectly pulled-off closer and lead single, ‘Followed The Waves’, drowns out any remaining doubts. Job well done, all that’s left to do is count the proverbial chickens.