PSYCHOTIC MONKS + DITZ – THE PIPER, ST LEONARDS 10.12.21
Promoters Acid Box specialise in presenting raucous live bands from the more sonically adventurous end of the musical spectrum. Recently they have started putting on shows at The Piper in St Leonards, bringing a taste of the Brighton scene a little further east along the coast. Tonight we’re in for a particular treat, with a visit from French prog-psych experimentalists The Psychotic Monks, currently embarking on a UK tour, which includes a sold out date tonight (11th December) at The Hope & Ruin in Brighton. Also featured are Brighton’s rising stars DITZ, who have been busy touring their own brand of “post post-punk” throughout November and early December.
It’s the first night of yet another set of pandemic restrictions, which might explain why it seems a bit quieter than usual out on the streets. It’s not entirely clear how the new rules affect live shows, but The Piper is most definitely a pub, so once inside it’s business as usual. The large upstairs room is a little way short of capacity, giving any concerned patrons plenty of scope to socially distance if they wish.
First on are DITZ, and singer Cal has taken the opportunity to decamp from the equipment cluttered stage and prowl the dance floor. In a long black leather coat and a bright red Santa hat, he has a strikingly pretty androgynous look with long flowing hair. Inviting the audience to gather closer, he turns to sing, initially with his back to us, and the band launch in with the fast and furious throb of opening number ‘Clocks’. On stage we have two guitarists, Jack house left, tall and fair haired, and Anton to the right, with frizzy hair and a stubbly beard. Neither of them seem to favour guitar stands, and their spare instruments are casually strewn about the stage floor. In the centre is bassist Caleb, also bearded, sporting a hooped nautical style top, and drummer Sam, playing very vigorously with the kit turned sideways to the audience.
Musically, there’s an awful lot going on. The comforting throb is contrasted with more discordant sections of clanging guitar, and there’s a spine-tinglingly wonderful break of electrically fizzing effects underpinned by breathtakingly quick triplet drum rolls. Eventually it all breaks down to a stick tapping on the snare rim, mimicking the ticking of a clock, while the guitars sound the chimes. I’m blown away, and that’s just the first song. It doesn’t let up at all, with ‘Gayboy’ featuring some mind-bogglingly complex rhythms rattling along at a fair old lick. I recognise the familiar and powerful rush of ‘Total 90’, a former single with an excellent promo video filmed at the ground of Lewes Football Club.
There’s plenty of energy being expended here, and Sam’s shirt is soon off. He has the wiry and muscular physique you might expect from someone who spends much of his time drumming with such intensity. Likewise, Cal’s leather coat is divested to reveal a cute girl’s Santa dress, which apparently is from Victoria’s Secret, if you fancy replicating the look.
Recent single ‘Ded Wurst’ alternates a sparse and catchy rhythm with bursts of noise like a pneumatic drill. Introducing another newer number, current single ‘The Warden’, Cal informs us that an album is on the way, with release due in March. On the basis of what I’ve heard tonight, I can’t wait. There’s a nice segue into the relatively delicate intro of ‘Role Model’, although needless to say, it doesn’t stay that way for long.
The musical content is immensely satisfying and varied, and Cal is getting into his performance, at one point demonstrating impressive flexibility by doing the splits in the middle of the dance floor. The drumming is an absolute wonder to behold, and the twin guitars, with enough effects pedals between them to stock a shop, produce magnificent soaring soundscapes. Not to be outdone, Caleb on bass turns in some very fancy riffage, with runs high up the neck.
As the set moves towards its conclusion, the power of the stick hits on the impressive new ‘Summer Of The Shark’ is sufficient to send the snare drum mic flying off. In the climactic final wig out, Sam seems to be doing his best to put the kit out of its misery with piledriving two-handed flan strokes that start from way above his head. It has been an awesome performance. If noisy and varied post-punk is your sort of thing, and you’re not already familiar, I strongly recommend you look out for this band. Their 2020 EP ‘5 Songs’ is still available on vinyl from their website, and the new album should be out on Alcopop Records next spring.
DITZ:
Cal – vocals
Anton – guitar
Jack – guitar
Caleb – bass
Sam – drums
DITZ setlist:
‘Clocks’, ‘Gayboy’, ‘Total 90’, ‘Three’, ‘Ded Wurst’, ‘The Warden’, ‘Role Model’, ‘Kate Moss’, ‘Instinct’, ‘He He’, ‘Teeth’, ‘Seeking Arrangement’, ‘Summer Of The Shark’, ‘No Thanks, I’m Full’
The Psychotic Monks hail from Saint-Ouen, a suburb of Paris, and have released two albums, the most recent ‘Private Meaning First’ gaining a worldwide release last year. A four-piece, they have been together since 2015. The preparations for their set are quite entertaining to watch in their own right. Keyboard player and bassist Paul is tinkering with a most impressive rig comprising a 1960s Farfisa compact organ topped with a small analog synth, plus a towering Doepfer A-100 module bristling with rotary knobs and patch leads. Although dating from the 1990s, it looks like something Brian Eno might have used in his Roxy Music days. Drummer Clément is busy swapping over the drum breakables, fitting the most enormous ride cymbal I’ve ever seen. House right, guitarist Arthur is sorting out his many effects pedals, whilst his counterpart Paul is house left, perched atop a bass bin like a statue on a plinth, glowering at the audience whilst limbering up with a few stretches.
Preparations completed, we’re into the set. A couple of minutes of oscillating, pulsing, swooping and swooshing synth noises eventually lead into the clanging guitar of ‘Isolation’, a track from the last album. Drummer Clément is singing, although it soon becomes clear that all four players share the vocal duties. There are frequent changes of rhythm and mood, with an epic-sounding section of monstrously deep bass notes from the keyboard, overlaid with soaring lead guitar. It’s a hugely impressive start.
I notice, much to my chagrin, that there are no written setlists. The band have clearly spent much time rehearsing and memorising their new material, which is played almost like a classical symphony. I get the impression that there are fixed points with tight hits and stops, between which there are sections that are at least partially improvised. It’s incredibly varied, with more musical ideas in each piece than some bands could muster on a whole album. The overall effect is very pleasing, like a psychedelic blend of noise rock and prog, though you’d be hard pressed to pin many labels on this band.
The performance is suitably intense, with each player at some point indulging in their own personal shamanic frenzy. Whether on keyboard or bass, Paul is rarely still, flinging himself into every note, twitching like he’s being electrocuted. Arthur makes forays into the audience, indulging in some vigorous mic stand abuse. Although constrained by his seat at the kit, Clément is fully committed, collapsing over it at one point with his head in his hands. House left on guitar, Martin is utterly mesmeric. He has a punky energy, and looks how you’d probably imagine a psychotic monk to look. Flinging his instrument about in a way that explains why the strap is gaffer-taped on, he is frequently jumping on and off the speakers and adopting pained expressions with his mouth agape or with his tongue hanging out. At one point he’s writhing around on his back in the middle of the dance floor, still playing.
The band are fully immersed in this musical journey, and take the audience along with them. It’s quite a trip, and I find myself riding each sonic twist and turn like I’m on a rollercoaster. There are jazzy moments during which Paul produces a trumpet, dreamy psychedelic passages, angular rhythmic sections, and bursts of extreme noise. The band plays for a little over an hour, but it seems like we’ve been travelling together for days. There is warm and well-earned applause at the set’s conclusion.
A brief chat with Clément afterwards confirms the semi-improvised nature of the pieces within a memorised structure. Much of the material is too new to even have names, and is referred to by location numbers. He very kindly recites the set into a voice memo on my phone.
It has been a most interesting evening’s entertainment, with some spellbindingly fervent performances of the most ambitious and adventurous music that you could reasonably hope to hear in your local pub. Well done to Acid Box Promotions for bringing it all together.
The Psychotic Monks:
Arthur Dussaux – guitar/vocals
Martin Bejuy – guitar/vocals
Clément Callierez- drums/vocals
Paul Dussaux – keyboards/bass/trumpet/vocals
The Psychotic Monks setlist:
‘Isolation’, ‘Location 125’, ‘Location 26’, ‘Location 88’, ‘Location 84’, ‘A Coherent Appearance’, ‘Post Post’, ‘Every Sight’
www.facebook.com/ThePsychoticMonks
