Hinoeuma the Malediction London 3rd February 2017
A funded and co-opted incarnation of COUM Transmissions played in Hull the same night. Here though was real industrial culture from legends keeping it real in a sleazy hired nightclub in Archway.
ACL/Antichildleague - slow build-up with samples and electronics, then furious contact mike and cymbal abuse, then vocals about 'fake female tears' declaimed with great passion - became a wonderful full-on PE temper tantrum with vicious strobe/laser lighting behind the stage and into our eyes - brilliant performance and very well-received by the audience.
Dead Normal - clearly with inspiration from both Sleaford Mods and modern Consumer Electronics, a male and female vocalist each spout sarcastic sounding words over surprisingly commercial sounding rhythms and almost-melodies - not all of this worked but when it did it was highly entertaining.
THE BLACK SCORPIO UNDERGROUND - after some theatrical and intense acts this guy had a tough place in the running order and his ritualistic drone with candles all over the desk didn't entirely hold my attention but others did enjoy it and I would check out again.
Sutcliffe Jügend - began with a piece I actually recognised, from With Extreme Prejudice. I haven't kept up with the seemingly endless albums released in recent times but this show seemed to revolve round similar sounding pieces which were song-like yet not quite songs - based around electronic loops and a mix of drones and chords from the guitar, with Kevin Tomkins laying down a kind of beat poetry, half-spoken half-sung and anecdotal and abject, very troubling and heartfelt words. One sarcastic young man present said it was like watching your geography teacher have a meltdown in the classroom before taking a term off, which was a great description. There were certainly absurd elements but they kept an audience entirely enraptured for an hour or so. Brilliant and very real art, and I genuinely wasn't expecting anything that good.
