Gig Review: The Fall of Troy

The Fall of Troy w/ Rolo Tomassi and Chon

Newcastle Academy 2, 17^th August 2015

Truly, one of those times where anybody I told about the gig responded with a puzzled “Who?” The Fall of Troy were a band that I loved from the second I heard them and was gutted when they first split back in 2010. Buying their wonderfully unique Doppelgänger album on the strength of good reviews, I was taken with their idiosyncratic sound, nutty song titles and sheer talent. I also kind of liked that nobody really knew who they were; they were my little secret, although I'm pretty sure that wasn't their main goal for a career in music.

A virtuoso three-piece, The Fall of Troy are hard to pigeonhole. For every savage riff they churn out, there's a gorgeous melody; for every schizophrenic tempo shift there's an almost emo singalong chorus. In terms of sheer talent, they're Muse without the operatics, played much faster.  They share some math-metal/screamo elements with Norma Jean or The Dillinger Escape Plan but also the wilful weirdness of mid-period Biffy Clyro. Imagine Biffy on speed instead of weed and you're almost there. They're a band with the talent of a jazz ensemble but the chaotic delivery of hardcore punk. And they're back. And I'm excited.

A brief sojourn to one of the less depressing Wetherspoons outlets in Newcastle gave way to me wandering in mid way through opening band Chon. I'd never heard of them before and decided on an extortionate Academy pint while I took in their instrumental jazzy stylings. With a distinctive clean guitar sound, they play complex tunes with incredible skill. To say their were simply good would do them a disservice, but its also fair to say they're more impressive than enjoyable. Like a less dynamic Animals As Leaders, Chon seem to have learned all the chords the guitar has to offer and seem intent on fitting them into one song. They also have a shyness to them, seeming oddly disengaged from the audience with only bass player Drew Pelisek looking like he enjoys his job or ever interacting with the crowd, who in fairness seemed to be enjoying them. They have talent to burn but a strange attitude tonight, and I can't help but think that The Mars Volta did this sort of thing as an interlude and made it look like more fun.

For some reason a Lisa Simpson moment sprung to mind: wandering into an experimental jazz show, she hears a disgruntled punter complain. Lisa says “You have to listen to the notes she isn't playing.” The punter replies “I could have done that at home.”

Rolo Tomassi are next. I like Rolo Tomassi; a unique band with what I can only describe as a really cool name (it's a James Ellroy reference, trivia fans). Easily one of the more interesting UK bands around and touring their 4^th studio album Grievances, I had seen them before and knew what to expect. An endearing mix of disparate styles, the black metal blast beats of opener 'Funereal' give way to ambient soundscapes and gentle keyboards. Singer Eva Spence is a brilliant performer; standing hand-on-hips and dancing like one would at a salsa club, she lulls you into a false sense of security, staring into middle distance before unleashing a terrifying scream. The band are brilliant too, particularly new drummer Tom Pitts, who nails the black metal and math-core elements of their sound as well as the gentle ambient moments. Ending with the wonderful 'Stage Knives' they do what any good support band should do: leave us wanting more.

No fanfare greets The Fall of Troy as they take to the stage; they don't need one. Singer Thomas Erak, looking like Joey Ramone but playing the guitar like Frank Zappa, is nothing short of an absolute rock star. From the second they kick into 'Wacko Jacko Steals The Elephant Man's Bones' (yes, that's really what the song is called) he is a blur of energy. Most impressive is how he manages to play their complex, jazz-infused, hyperactive mathcore without standing still and concentrating the whole time.

The sound is muddy at times and the vocals are a little hard to pick out but it doesn't spoil the show. Erak's impressive repertoire of guitar techniques coupled with a frenzied delivery is entertainment enough and an energetic moshpit kicks off right beside me, populated by probably the most stoned people I have ever seen in a moshpit. At one point, Erak is playing the guitar one-handed, standing foot-on-monitor and using his free hand to help somebody in the front row headbang. He rarely looks down at his guitar to see what he's doing and he doesn't often miss a note. Performance-wise, it's perfect; an impeccable mix of passion and precision.

Their songs are catchier than I had remembered, too. Such complex, almost prog-y music doesn't often lend itself to hooks or memorable phrases (and I had been hammering their albums on my ipod in preparation) but I found myself singing along to the batshit crazy likes of 'We'd Better Learn To Hotwire A Uterus' (introduced, helpfully, as “a song about vaginas.”) and the stunning 'F.P.C.R.E.M.I.X'. They play a new song, one with no title and apparently no final set of lyrics, but it's good and gives hope for Fall Of Troy to come.

So impressed and lost in the moment am I, that at one point I find my mind drifting to other times where a band hasn't just been good, but has moved me. I'm talking about the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam and a set from a little known stoner band called Solace, who I saw achieve heavy metal perfection one sweaty night in Trillians. This was one of those nights and as they tore into epic closer 'Macauley McCulkin' (a song about a serial killer, apparently) I was disappointed that it was over. And that, my friends, is as good as you can hope for from a gig. The song ends with Erak alone onstage, teasing out the last few chords before thanking us warmly and buggering off to be brilliant at the guitar backstage.

I feel sorry for those of you who haven't heard of these guys (most of you, I know) but they're well and truly back and well and truly brilliant. One last thing: I bought two pints of uber-priced lager in the Academy so can anyone lend me a few quid to help out with the rent?