Bald Wife @ Norwich Playhouse Bar
A great return
Cripes, can it really have been over a year since I last saw Bald Wife? The wait is over and Jack and Owen are back to make a racket.
Opening with an instrumental and Blood Red Leaf, all the things I love about this band are in place. The sound melds The Melvins, UT, vintage Sabbath, Mastodon, Sunn 0))) and Slint. If Slaves slowed down, it might just be like this. Visually - if not musically - Owen plays like a manic cross between Bonham, Moon and Animal from the Muppets, while Jack stomps round like he hates the very ground he is playing on. Quite amazing given how affable the pair of them are off-stage.
Just Been Born, She and an unnamed newbie sound bloody great. The paean to self-abuse that is Five Minute Shame remains the highlight for me, complete with skronking guitar noise that Glenn Branca would have been proud of.
With a shout out to BK & Dad's Pip for sorting out some drum trouble, this was a great return. Not perfect but not far off.
9/10
