The Zephyrs - The Garage

The Zephyrs + Ulrich Schnauss + Air Formation
Upstairs at The Garage

We arrived just as Air Formation took the stage - they made some very good JAMC/MBV/KoD noises that got me feeling all indie-nostalgic for the time when the bands I loved made lots of guitar noise and mumbled incoherent lyrics over the top. I enjoyed them a lot but suspect that the guy with me had never really experienced the joy that is the almost classic-British-indie-band-sound...he came from a "crafted song" background...he had more surprises to come...

Ulrich Schnauss set up his keyboard and computer(s) on stage, sat down and made the most beautiful and intense electronic washes there was no pauses between the pieces - and they were "pieces" rather than songs as this is closer to a modern-electronic-classical music than to the electronica that we are normally exposed to. This has warmth and colour rather than the cold and lifelessness of so much electronic music. I've tried to appreciate technology as music but have generally found it hard to love - I don't dance and this wasn't dance music (although I guess you can dance to it?)...at last electronic music that I can love.

Herr Schnauss was obviously the main crowd puller because after he left the stage two thirds of the audience left the venue - which was both sad and a blessed relief as the intense music coupled with the opressive heat and crowds had made it pretty uncomfortable.

The Zephyrs took to the stage and played a very lovely, too short set in which they fought hard but ultimatly lost the battle with the talkers and the inattentive sound crew. It would be so nice to see them again soon maybe in a venue that will be more sympathetic to their sound and a crowd more attentive to the gorgeous music being made. At last however, my companion had some crafted songs to enjoy and Stargazer was (for him) like a last minute winner in a crappy football match - it'll be remebered as a classic regardless of what went before. For me it was a pretty good night anyway.