Bossk

support Humanfly + Latitudes + Me And Goliath
author EW date 11/10/08 venue Underworld, London, UK

As time goes on I find myself looking forward to Underworld gigs more and more. I think its the high sociability that seems to come with gigs there, or something. But the Bossk show there on October 11th 2008 was always going to be special as it was officially the last show of a great act, bowing out before our very eyes with yet so much more to give. However, before we got to what presumably most people were there for we had 3 support bands to watch, all specially selected by Bossk for the show.

Me and Goliath

All three of them being unknowns to me gave each an equal chance to impress yours truly, however it transpired that Me And Goliath ended up lowest on my enjoymentometer, and by some distance. Being 'screamo' and therefore virtually indistinguishable from every other screamo band in my books, MaG rattled through a good number of songs in their alloted time never generating more than polite applause from the sparse attendance there at this point. Most notable for bassist/vocalist Steve singing his sections facing the drummer with guitarist/other vocalist Chris doing his in the conventional manner, MaG seemed to me musically impotent at the time, a feeling which only increased with what was to come.

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Latitudes

You could the say show really started from the onset of Latitudes with the attendance picking up as well as a change of style from punky-screamo to the ambient/atmospheric sludge/doom of the remaining 3 bands. Just to indicate their complete aversion to vocals, Latitudes performed their entire set with no microphone on stage, leaving one to wonder whether they are just most forgetful or have sufficient confidence that the music will do all the talking. Forgetful they could be but confident the music is definitely; jesus christ I'm not sure I've heard moments of music heavier than some of Latitudes proto-doom in the 174 concerts I've been to thus far. Blending the heaviosity of pure Electric Wizard, the carefree nature of Isis or Cult Of Luna and a touch of prog Enslaved style Latitudes simply crushed despite the utterance of not a word on stage, a testament to the intriguing and captivating nature of the carefully constructed doom that Latitudes have created. Though being somewhat similar to Bossk in the rambling nature of their songs, Latitudes take the route of down-tuning things a notch and writing sullen yet energetic riffs that had everyone on the main floor nodding their heads in unison. Absolutely one to watch out for.

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Humanfly

On a night of subtle yet noticeable changes to the standard live performance checklist, Humanfly strode forth to a light show consisting of just a few white lights firing upwards from their feet - incredibly simple yet dramatically attention-grabbing. Turning out to be the purveyors of a stratospheric amalgamation of more straight-ahead rock, doom and the special pizzazz of Neurosis, Cult of Luna and Om, Humanfly were just as intense as Latitudes though certainly less punishing on the weighing scales of the riff. In what turned out to be oddly unusual, vocals were used at more frequent moments, though rarely when they weren't justified. Humanfly, by the end of a set that took longer to find it's feet than the two which surrounded it, finished with the conviction of a band that produce a progressive noise hard to pin down as the adulation granted towards them signalled the end of another triumphant band. Thats 2 out of 3 with the big dawg still to come...

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Bossk

Despite their relative lack of age and inexperience (all around the 23 mark), Bossk entered the stage with the atmosphere and panache of a band markedly older than they. In the gloomy, smoky backlit setting it would've been impossible to tell if their expressions betrayed any nerves in a final gig setting but given the feeling in the playing of "Define" and "II" the royal sense of achievement and utter conviction of their playing belied the existence of any butterflies. The combination of a band playing such involving music with a simplistically brilliant light/stage show is enough to guarantee brilliance in anyone's books and in this sense Bossk simply just did not fail. Song clarity may not have been perfect and frankly noone would have cared if the odd duff note slipped in as seeing the silhouettes of a group of guys playing such emotional and transcendental music in front of one was a feeling better than that generated in most other styles of more straightforward music I have ever seen. The onstage hugs at the gigs' conclusion between those in Bossk told the story of an emotional but rewarding night, long to live in the memory of those out for this special event.

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