HORSE the Band had just exploded onto the stage as I entered the venue to discover that it was not the Metro's main stage they were playing on but the tiny stage in a rather small room (still under construction as it appeared) adjacent to the bar area. However, despite the fact that they were crammed together, placing each member in some danger of physical harm as a result of the frenetic movements they were all making to match the sound of the music, the whole band appeared to be very much enjoying themselves. The drummer in particular was never without a grin on his face as he wrapped is arms and legs around some insane, syncopated and pummeling beats to the amazement of anyone who stopped throwing themselves around the pit long enough to watch.
Much has been made of HORSE the Band's use of old synths, GameBoys, etc. to inject some melody into their otherwise full-on whatever-core-you-want-to-call-it sound and they certainly do the trick when it comes to helping HtB stand out from a very overpopulated crowd. This band truly do have their own sound that all at once is a brutal, noisy, melodic, bouncy, eccentric, schizophrenic scream of a thing and it's impossible not to get caught up in it to some degree. And caught up in it most people were with the front of stage a whirlpool of human bodies which managed to suck the band's vocalist in on more than one occasion. I say "most" though because there seemed to be an inordinate number of young (perhaps) college types who seemed to be out only to show off their cool outfits to anyone who'd cast a second glance and hug and talk loudly with their friends all through the set. This is something I've never understood - there is no shortage of bars in this city in which one can rendez-vouz with friends. Anyway...
For those of us watching, the band was very entertaining - I particularly enjoyed watching the keyboardist trying to nail his parts whilst dancing, jumping and pogoing around the stage. The vocalist made some fun with an oven mitt puppet thrown onto the stage and made a point of telling the assembled throng the band's hotel name and room number in an invitation to carry on after the show. I hope that HORSE the Band manage to get back to these shores before too long and that a better room sound and vantage point is available to do them justice.
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