Oh Sees - o2 Academy Leeds, July 11th 2018
San
Fransico's (Thee) Oh Sees must have surely seen just about everything in their
twenty-plus album career spanning the same amount of years, perhaps
until tonight. Scheduled to appear as soon as England's world cup
semi final with Croatia is over, we're already late into the evening
by the time John Dwyer and co can hurridly plug in and tune up. 'It's
been a hell of a day... dig in' he encourages us as they rip into Orc
album's opener 'The Static God'.
Oh Sees don't fuck about, ever.
Never has a band been so keen to get on with the action. Dwyer,
guitar perma-welded to the underneath of his chin, tears through the
songs with characteristic furious energy and football's recurring
shattered dream is hastily forgotten for this next ninety minutes or
so.
The
set flips back and forth through the bands extensive back catolgue of
work. 'Withered Hand' (Mutilator Defeated At Last) and 'Ticklish
Warrior' (A Weird Exits) sonically testing even the most robust of
ears. Oh Sees play LOUD. Dual drummers centre stage, flanked by
guitar - left, and an uncompromising bass – right, provide a
relentless rhythm that the band work around. Even a broken string and
necessary adjustments can't bring the music to a halt. Improvised
jamming until Dwyer's handywork is complete and a song made up on the
spot, just for Leeds. Though I suspect this may be a regular
occurrence given the singer's/guitarist's level of commitment and
fervour.
'Toe
Cutter – Thumb Buster' (Floating Coffin) and it's looping beat
sounds immense pumping out of the Academy's speakers. As does Orc's
'Animated Violence', Dwyer yelping and growling as he flings about
with the guitar making all kinds of glorious walls of noise. 'This is
an old one, and it's a long one...' he says for the final time as the
sounds of 'Contraption/Soul Desert' fill the air. I turn reluctantly
for the exit to catch the last bus home, catching Dwyer picking at
the strings with his teeth before I leave. The streets are almost
deserted, the cup staunchly remains not coming home, it's even rained a
little. With an Oh Sees live fix firmly under the belt, I feel a sense of normality has resumed.
