Graveyard

support Spiders
author EW date 06/12/12 venue Islington Academy, London, UK

Let us welcome the Swedish rock invasion. The continual flow of high quality rock and metal to come from there shows no sign of abating (not that confirmation were ever needed) as one of it's finest recent proponents came to town in promotion of the release of their third album, "Lights Out" being supported by the lively new upstarts fresh from the release of their debut album "Flash Point", Spiders.

Spiders

Finding any information before this show on set times or even support acts was a curiously difficult one, so by the time I discovered the name of Spiders there was barely any chance to investigate their wares. This however was not a great problem as while the female-fronted quartets' tunes are not likely to change the world and consequently are easily appreciated, they benefitted greatly from the presence of the warm and engaging performance of Ann-Sofie Hoyles whose clear love and energy for the music was the antithesis to so many cold and in-it-for-the-looks frontladies I've historically seen. In support of her was the typical group of guys who naturally recalled the 70's appearance associated with the Zeppelin-esque sounds Spiders provided in a 30 minute slot of snappy songs and polite engagement from the mostly full Islington Academy. Cramming in nine songs demands there be a few sub 3-minute songs but with "Hard to Keep" and "Weekend Nights" among others Spiders have songs that like to make a point no matter their length.

There will have been countless occasions we have all watched a support act riffing out mediocre classic rock inspired tunes often without a real spark or focal point. In Spiders I do not see one of those. If they can utilise their eminent passion and write a set of songs as recognisable as Graveyard's I expect to find even the arachnophobes answering to Spiders' call.

7

Graveyard

Graveyard's second album "Hisingen Blues" was a true bolt from the blue when it was released in 2011 as the sounds of Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Cream it mixed were so expertly and creatively done that with the backing of Nuclear Blast there was simply no chance they could fail to catch on. A venue upgrade later from their previous appearances at the Borderline and Underworld and to a diverse audience ranging from extreme metal to classic rock fans in attendance we can consider that success is justifiably greeting them.

For a band whose sound is based on classic rock - a genre known for colossal performances and showmanship - Joakim Nilsson is a strangely subdued frontman. For his lack of spoken word between songs and the minimal amount of band movement on stage, one is left to muse on the responsibility placed on their music to entertain. Of course anyone who has listened to "Hisingen Blues" knows that will happen, a fact that was demonstrated by the stronger reaction shown to any of these tracks than those aired from LPs 1 or 3. "Ain't Fit to Live Here", "Uncomfortably Numb" and "Buying Truth" were some of the highlights for this writer and many others it would seem, although the new tracks which included "Seven Seven" and "An Industry of Murder" slotted in competently to ensure a consistent level of performance through the 80-odd minute slot.

Thinking back to the aforementioned previous London shows of Graveyard it is hard to think how this one topped either of those such was their atmosphere against that which felt lacking here; however I have no reason to disbelieve yet that Graveyard are destined for bigger things while Spiders themselves showed a promise that will see their web spelt over increasing numbers in time to come.

All photos taken by Teodora Dani. For the full set click here.

Comments
comments powered by Disqus

Legal

© Copyright MMXXIV Rockfreaks.net.