Review of Rolo Tommassi at Twisted Pepper on February 12th 2011
Review by Tadgh O’Connor
Photos by Yan Bourke
I arrived into Twisted Pepper at the advertised time, unfortunately I seem to be the only person to do so. The guy at the door was kind enough to let me in to the sound-check. I walk in to the room, filled with people much more important than I, as Bats are wrapping up with a new song. Their set up is pouring out on to the floor from the tiny stage.
As the festivities are all ready to kick off people flow into the room right up to the imaginary barrier of the makeshift stage. Bats kick off into their rhythmly complex, science fuelled hardcore rock. They manage to get a fair few people dancing, well not dancing per say but swaying. But as an existing fan they didn’t have to do much to win me over. A few of the more “hardcore” audience members fail to seem convinced.
They wrap up their set with another unreleased song. Full of jarring guitars it’s a mix of the dissident and melodic in a way I’ve only come to expect from Bats. As the song ends with it’s quite poignant refrain “people die and the moss grows”, a very blatant atheistic statement but what would you expect from a band who wages war against creationists with their music (namely Kent Hovind).
With Bats wrapping up it’s time for Wounds. Wounds are a band I’ve been meaning catch since last years “DEAD DEAD FUCKING DEAD” ep. Unfortunately last summer guitarist, James fell from a 4th floor balcony and was out of action for a while (to say the least). Despite all odds Wounds are back and even more surprising so is James.
The crowd pour back into the back room after satisfying their various habits and wounds are raring to go. As the burst into the beginning of their set as progressively the crowd swells into a sea of head banging, front man Aidan smacks himself in the head with the mic and blood begins to drip down onto his brow. The size of the room begins to play to the aesthetics of what Wounds are playing. This isn’t some 20 million euro tour, prop filled, costume changing stadium rock this is hardcore. Raw and ruthless, full of anger lacking in direction.
After a plethora of moshing and crowd surfing Wounds finish up and the room is transformed. The polish of the crowd is scuffed, there is glass everywhere. Bruises and scrapes are commonplace but so is this tone of satisfaction. In an era of financial hardship. With people desperate for jobs just 2 years ago they’d turn down, maybe this is what Ireland needs. Something angry, something where they can throw away the shackles of capitalistic monotony and all inhibitions.
Rolo Tomassi take their places and introduce themselves to a now half empty room (a free Adebisi Shank gig in the button factory is a suspect cause of this). The cute-as-a-button Eva Spence bashfully introduces herself, a disappointing turn out doesn’t stop them and the trudge on with the awesome Mt Celestia. Spence’s presence while not as trashy as support Wounds is strong none the less. A blend of elegant vocals and interpret dancing juxtaposition against harsh screaming vocals and head banging.
The band give their whole to the performance and play as tight as can be but the lack of an audience takes from the performance unfortunately. The crowd try moshing but with so few they quickly gave up.
Unfortunately it was a disappointing end to the night but it was no fault to Rolo Tomassi, the crowd wasn’t with them despite their technical prowess and a generally solid performance. Maybe next time they’ll have more of their own crowd, and if that happens I look forward to it because there is great potential here.