With a band as noisy as Die! Die! Die, its way too easy to have the ferocity of the live show undermined by poor quality sound tech. The vocals could easily have been lost amidst the squall of guitar (Battles, anyone?) just as easily as the bass could have been wiped out by Michael Prain’s incessant drumming. However, on Wednesday night at Bodega, it all worked, resulting in a set that burned ears (literally) and rolled in the start of a summer of amazing shows.
I missed the opening acts, arriving just in time to see Andrew Wilson and co come onstage. Tearing straight into it, I could only watch in wonder as the central mosh went wild. Following the lead of Lachlan Anderson’s beanpole mosh from stage left, the crowd was intense. As was the band. From the comparatively muted aggression of People Talk’s verses to the fever pitch of Ashtray Ashtray, Die x3 played furiously well. Set up close physically, and playing even more closely, the sound mix was nigh-perfect (as good a mix as I’ve heard at Bodega, anyway). Nothing was lost amidst the noise, save probably for the high-range hearing capabilities of most of the crowd. This was probably down to the drums, which cut through the guitars so well. Every song was kept at the brink, relentlessly keeping the mosh alive. And then, after 45 minutes, a seemingly obligatory Key rant and an encore, they were done. A tumultuous set that cut a path of destruction through the ears and eyes of those at Bodega, in the very best way. Violent, crisp, but most importantly, earnest: a veritable treat.
For a summer set to be dominated by massive names like Leonard Cohen, Neil Young and Public Enemy, the comparatively minnow-like Die! Die! Die! started this summer frenetically, setting the bar high for the coming months. Would trade again.
James Beavis
