Cold Cave in concert 18/5/2013.
Review by Nick the Bookman
Space. Time. Spacetime. Allwhere. Everywhen. Just a few words jitter-skittering through my brain as I take the #15 bus from Central to The Peak. I'm off for my 3rd gig of 2013, which is a very slow rate of return vs enjoyment. I usually manage to get at least half a dozen gigs under my belt by May(ish). But this is not an ordinary year as is bleeding obvious from reading or watching any relevant news magazine/journal or programme. (Obviously it's self explanatory that fucking Fox News and network do not feature in any way shape or form in my entertainment/education. Aside from wishing for their total cessation of existence. Always good for a few laughs, that.)
Anyway, I'm On The Bus and musing in a Kesey like way on Time Travel. To wit, the route the #15 bus takes up The Peak is an old and well-travelled route, which doesn't seem to have changed at all in the past half century of my existence in Hong Kong. The bus must slow down going round narrow corners in case it meets another juggernaut coming up fast. It's like that World's Most Dangerous Road somewhere in South America where a slight mishap or loss of driving concentration results in fiery immolation. If you're lucky...
We (i.e. me and other bus passengers, mainly lovely chattery Japanese lady tourists videoing everything from the top deck. Except me.) have made it to the top. Get out by the the Peak Tram terminus and try and find the Dairy Farm Building at 100 Peak Road. That's where tonight's gig is taking place. The act is Cold Cave a moody goth-tronic group who are massive in underground circles and dark corners of the interweb. They're here in Hong Kong, courtesy of Mike and Jane, aka Songs For Children, who have provided some of the best gigs of recent years on a shoestring budget and excessive bouts of D.I.Y. expertise. I can't praise them enough for allowing me to enjoy their most memorable gigs.
Anyway, I've walked around in increasingly annoyed circles thinking about how hard it is to find the gig venue. No one in the shops has heard of the address (which proves to be about 200 metres down the road). Midway through the third frenzied rantaround, I meet Jane with Wes and Amy (aka Cold Cave) and Jane sets me straight. It's inside Saffron On The Peak, one of two restaurants run by Sean Hocking who also runs Metal Postcard Records and does a web top ten music show of new and interesting releases. He seems to be having a night that Prince Randi, The Living Torso from "Freaks" would gladly chop off his non-existent limbs to get out of having. Maintain an even strain, Sean! Outside, the weather is the typical top of the Peak wispy sulphur yellow/gray gravy sort of fog. One could almost imagine James Maybrick (aka Jack The Ripper) having a sinister skulk about. Except for the fact he's been dead since 1888. Enough. Back To The Future...
There's about 90 assorted fans, ranging from fanatics to curiouscenti, gathered at the venue which is smallish, but roomy. The stage is to the left as you walk in and opening act Laura Palmer are getting ready to smash all resistance with their unholy sonicstorm brew of 60's freak punk riffs and white noise electronic mayhem. And very pleasant vibes they are too. Laura Palmer, trimmed down to a trio from their mesmerising appearance at Clockenflap 2011, appear to have mellowed.
The band are Azia on bass and vox. Chinho on freaky noise guitar. And Kai Hon on more or less restrained drummatics. Not sure if he's the same drummer who blew my mind at Clockenflap by standing on his drum stool, beating out a hypno-riff with one stick and one hand while being the coolest person at the festival to smoke a cigarette with his other hand. Didn't get the song titles, but they seem to have mellowed a bit. My (admittedly time-trippy notes) mention hints of Byrds melodies and a love of Roky Erickson/13th Floor Elevators grunge. Anyway, if this brief rave-view tickles your innner freak, check them out on [url]facebook.com/laurapalmer.hk[/url] And yes, they did take their name from "Twin Peak's" haplessly murdered heroine. A bit of nostalgic plunder.
There are some splendid tunes from Mike, which range across the indie-spectrum and are mostly unknown to me. I did recognise one track from Toy, but that's about it. But, hey they all fit the time and place and sonic vibe. Anywhen, it's time for the main act. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Cold Cave's HK debut. The crowd is basically front and centre of the stage, bopping a bit, but mainly giving off huge vibes of love and support.
Wes and Amy look all stark and doomy to match the dark and stormy(ish) atmosphere. Clad in black and pumping out some energetic 'tronic goth sounds. People are telling me they sound a bit Joy Division crossed with The Cure. Or Nine Inch Nails with out there spasms of New Order. I can hear that in the music, but I'm inclined to a fiendish mashup of LaCrimosa, the German-Finnish duo who wear none more black leather and lace and pound out relentless darkwave electropop touched with angelic vox, and OMD with the plaintive sugary synths insistently teasing and seducing the listener.
Wes is the main centre of attraction. The set starts with what sounds like angry synth-bees roiling and buzzing around in a dense cloud of moody electronic snow. And then the tunes start. Wes is lasping the microphone right to his lips and doing a jerky, yet synced skinhead moonboot shuffle stomp. Eyes closed in a state of apparent pained grace.
Amy is an odd mix of frantic calm. The eye of the storm. Laying down the beats and layering in the little touches while remaining static behind her lap top. She reminds me of some lovely combination of Dita Von Treese tresses and Rose MaGowan no shit attitude. But in a nice way. I especially loved the latter part of the set when Wes has moved front and centre with the crowd and is sort of goth-crooning over the laptop to Amy in a sort of call and response-cum smoochy-eyed lovefest reminiscent of Sonny and Cher or Annette Funicello. They're almost oblivious of the audience, lost in their own little moment that they can't get out of. Aww Diddums. It's an intensely sweet moment and basically busts my approval rating meter. Anywise, over to Amy now for the set list.
The songs include "Nausea, the Earth and me". "Little Death". "Öceans with no end". "People are poison"."Black boots". "Beaten 1979". "Ïcons of summer". "Poison Berries". Ünderworld USA". They've released two albums called "Love Comes Close" and "Cherish The Light Years". If this review piques your interest at all, you can contact them at
coldcoldcaves@gmail.com. In closing, I'd just like to say it was a real pleasure to hear your concert and to chat with you both afterwards. Mike, Jane and I were all sorry you didn't have enough time to come to Lamma, but here''s hoping you grace the shores of our fantasy island sometime not too far before the remote decline and subsequent heat death of the universe. Until then, and thanx again. ntb
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