“Happy Valentine’s,” says Xavier Boucherat – aka Beauty Parlour – with a mixture of amusement and malevolence, having greeted us with a moody meditation of dense synth atmospherics, meandering sax and tinkling bells. Only once we’ve been unsuspectingly lured closer to the stage does he break out the beats for a succession of proto-goth-industrial bangers, like a primitive Depeche Mode, that play rough and leave bruises. I’m swiping right and hoping for another date soon.
The second unexpected bonus on tonight’s bill, Obey Cobra are like a lumbering beast emerging out of the fog: enormous, hungry and implacable. Or a 10-ton tractor, relentlessly ploughing furrows and deliberately driving into ditches just to be able to churn up the mud and grind the gears. Ten Of Wands, from latest album Mwg Drwg, is a marvel of muscularity, repetition and release, and when Home Wrecca comes barrelling along, you’re best advised to get out of its path and take cover.
Bloc Party may have been a cut above the mid-00s landfill indie masses, but tonight sees a second former member arriving at Clwb’s downstairs venue as part of a much more interesting outfit. In 2019, drummer Matt Tong featured in Algiers’ lineup, and here bassist Gordon Moakes provides low-end backbone for The None.
The quartet have rapidly generated a buzz via word of mouth and live performances – support slots with the likes of The Jesus Lizard, Metz and Les Savy Fav (a roll call that, along with vocalist Kaila Whyte’s Amphetamine Reptile T-shirt, gives a clear signal as to their noiserock affiliations) and a Sŵn Festival slot that evidently won them a fair few new friends. All refreshingly organic and old school, much like the mailing list sign-up sheet on their merch table.
It’s not only EP release day but the first day of the tour (Whyte, a teacher in Birmingham who also makes solo music as Blue Ruth, will be spending half-term constructively), so no wonder The None are wound up and at it from the off. Whyte is one obvious focal point, pacing the stage area while clutching two mics; the other is the fresh-faced Jim Beck, very much the band’s Duane Denison or D Boon. He’s always been a maverick guitarist unafraid of throwing curveballs, but, while Cassels (his duo with drummer brother Loz) can sometimes sound a little thin, in The None he benefits from having the Moakes’ bass and Chris Francombe’s drums behind him.
In the confined space, chaos unfolds – drums are accidentally dislodged and I lose track of how many times Beck’s headstock narrowly misses connecting with Whyte’s skull. The intensity is ratcheted up to a frenzied hardcore pummel at the death, and somewhere the spirit of Steve Albini is looking down and smiling. It feels fitting to have fallen in love on Valentine’s Day.
The None / Obey Cobra / Beauty Parlour, Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Fri 14 Feb
words and photos BEN WOOLHEAD
