Cloud Control
Live at Brudenell Social Club on Tuesday, 4th October 2011
Audit Control: A Huddersfield based 5-piece, vocals (nice to see a stand-alone vocalist), 2 guitars, bass and drums. When they started playing me and my companions said with one voice "Jim Morrison" though it kind of morphed into Simple Minds by the end of the set. Good indie rock with stadium aspirations. I would go to see them again.
Big Deal: So what? Girl, Boy, strumming 2 distorted guitars. They had no stage presence, the songs were uninteresting and by the end of the set no-one was listening any more. I didn't get it.
Cloud Control: After what seemed an inordinate amount to time to set up their equipment by the roadies the band finally came on 20 minutes late. Cloud Control are an Australian band and touring to support their first album, "Bliss Release". They are (roughly left to right on the stage) Heidi Lenffer on lead vocals, keyboard, tambourine and hip wiggling; Alister Wright on lead vocals, guitar and feedback-laced wig-outs; Ulrich Lenffer on drums, percussion and vocals; Jeremy Kelshaw on bass, vocals, and (sigh) sequencers/loops. The thing that interested me about them on first listen was their sound. It was as if a 70's girl/boy vocal band (say The Mamas and Papas) had been dumped into a modern indie grunge band. Having seen them live I still think this is an accurate description but I now know its far more complicated than that! On one number they will do an odd four-part vocal that sound tribal perhaps even aboriginal, on another they launch in loose African grooves a la Vampire Weekend. They have a wide palette to produce an interesting set. The thing that impressed me the most was their precise control, they could go from straight vocals then into wild chaotic instrumental breaks and back again in the blink of an eye. Brilliant, and this is only their 1st album. Lots more to come I think.
Started good, got better as it went. finished 20 minutes late and so equilibrium was restored. Definitely would see them again.