19th October
Dancehouse
8/10
Touring off the back of an album that’s 34 years old this year, Young Marble Giants seem to have gained a touch of irony in their name. Sitting centre stage on the front row in The Dancehouse it felt more like going round to a friend’s parents house for an afternoon cuppa than a gig.
The fumbling round over instruments, the interesting but digressive stories leave you tempted to thank them for having you over and reassure them you’re looking after their offspring whilst they’re at uni. It almost seems odd to say that such an atmosphere could be the perfect setting for a live gig. However, the minimalistic instrumentation from brothers Philip and Stuart Moxham provide a quiet and unassuming stance that fit the ambience so well. This, combined with the haunting but yet strangely comforting vocals of Alison Statton, provide the band sound that is undeniably their own. Not exactly what you’d imagine from a band whose only album, Colossal Youth, was described by the late Kurt Cobain as one of the five most influential albums he ever heard. But can a band that favour a drum machine over a drummer ever be described as conventional? Not that this mattered to anyone sat in The Dancehouse—most just felt lucky to be have a chance of seeing the cult heroes.
Having only done a handful of gigs since their split in 1980, such a performance is a real rarity. It was due to this that a strong sense of disappointment came from the crowd as they announce their final song. As it came to a close the band said their goodbyes and left with a simple ending fitting of a band who have never been ones to make a lot of noise.
