RATS ON RAFTS, ALL TOMORROWS & ARTHUR BLACK
Another cracking night at Voodoo’s courtesy of Pica Pica, Pica Pica
For the second evening in a row, I’m down at Voodoo’s for a triple header.
I’ve seen opener ARTHUR BLACK with their band and in a duo but this is the first time solo acoustic. Whilst I think I prefer the band - just - this set highlights what a superb voice and great songs Arthur has and what a likeable, engrossing entertainer they are.
It is the first time I have teenage trio ALL TOMORROWS and umm impressed. The post-punk/art-noise/post-rock shenanigans is not as original as they probably think it is bringing to mind Sonic Youth, Shellac and (the, to my mind, criminally forgotten) likes of The Big F or Bogshed. That said, I always loved Sonic Youth on record but they were absolutely awful every time I saw them live so it can be argued that All Tomorrows are better than the New York art terrorists!
This is the third time I have seen Rats On Rafts. Their sets supporting Nightingales at Epic and The Chills at NAC were blooming great, I love the albums and so expectation are high. Tonight is a very different Rats to the previous shows: slower, more atmospheric, more 80s Cure/Banshees gothic dream-pop than post-punk. Almost all of the songs are taken from superb new LP Deep Below. Different it may be but bloody hell it is GREAT! and just what I need after Saturday’s hardcore/metal all dayer in BSE and Sleemo‘ riff-fest doen here last night.
Thank you ROR. Thank you Pica pica, Pica pica.