Melvins: Live Review

The Melvins have long since become an institution, one of the most influential bands in modern rock. In recent years however, they have not simply been resting on the laurels of their classic albums, but exploring new territory and breaking new ground. Their album as Melvins Lite, a stripped down form of the Melvins with Ipecac favourite Trevor Dunn on double bass is one example, another is their record breaking 51 states in 51 days tour last year. It must be said, however, that a bit of retrogression from a band as great as them is always appreciated, so it was much to the delight of many when two shows consisting of Lysol/Houdini and Stoner Witch/Bullhead played in succession were announced.

Trust me, it was a tough decision, Stoner Witch is probably the most varied of the four, and the opening track on Bullhead is so good Boris named themselved after it. After much deliberation, however, I went to the Lysol/Houdini night.

As anyone familiar with the Melvins knows, I was greeted by the sight of four rather eccentric looking guys. If I seem abnormally focussed on their appearances, it’s merely because I want the uninitiated to know how hilarious the Melvins can be. Buzzo wore a robe and his sideshow Bob-like mane flopped to punctuate the dropping of every riff, and I’m pretty sure one of the drummers, Dale Crover, was wearing some kind of tunic.

One major difference is that since 2006 Coady Willis (formerly of Big Business) has been in the band as a second drummer and there is no doubt that having two drummers contributed to the enormity of their sound as much as it did to the visual presentation, with Willis being left handed creating a sort of mirror image between the 2 halves of the stage, where the four piece played standing in a row, rather than most rock bands, who simply hide the drummer in the back somewhere.

The set opened with Lysol and possibly the highlight of the night. ‘Hung Bunny’, the opener of the album and an absolute monolith was hugely enhanced by massive drums and a punchy bass rumble that practically had me shaking. Indeed, the sound over the whole night was excellent; incredibly loud, with guitar tones forming carefully controlled, resonant feedback at many points.

Their rendition of Lysol continued very much in this vein. In other words, it was truly crushing, with a tangible feeling of euphoria in the audience any time they dropped a great track, which was pretty much all of them. ‘The Ballad Of Dwight Fry’ provideda rare moment of relaxation amongst this barrage of powerful, sludgy riffs. This response continued throughout the night, throughout their rendition of Houdini. This is considered their landmark album and generally the first album anyone hears, so I’m sure it invited some nostalgia for more or less everyone there. For those not aware, this album is more rocky and less sludgy than its predecessor. The bassy excellence of ‘Night Goat’ or the particularly catchy ‘Lizzy’ stood out for me.

The set ended on a powerful note with ‘Spread Eagle Beagle,’ as Buzz left the stage, leaving the two drummers and bassist Jared Warren, (also formerly of Big Business) who was clad in american football padding made out of a cardboard box. then proceeded to enter the crowd screaming vocals which heavily distorted themselves, decaying into feedback (possibly with some kind of delay pedal), before it was left with just the drummers, as in the album itself, trading fills and gradually fading out. A truly outstanding performance from one of rock’s best loved institutions. Equal parts humour, rock n’ roll showmanship, and familiar, punishing riffs.

The Melvins have recently released a cover album Everybody Love Sausages on Ipecac.