Gutted to be missing Shellac across town the same night, this was a gig for music fans and not hipsters. METZ have figured out how to look into your eyes before they plunge the next chord into your chest. This is controlled frenzy.
The last time I reviewed a METZ Glasgow gig I was genuinely concerned that their never-ending life on the road was starting to burn them out. Endless touring will burn out most people playing middle of the road dross. METZ’ take on hyper intense punk rock every night is such that some pro athletes rarely sweat this much in such a short time period. Happily I can report that somewhere along the way the guys have figured out how to control that energy and momentum without compromising their intensity. Thank fuck for that!
Arriving slightly late with my girlfriend, her recent diet of only listening to Ghost Mice in the car was in for a loud, rude awakening. Folk? Not tonight….
We missed opening band The Wytches. Before leaving for the venue we’d listened briefly to the other support band Cheatahs on Spotify. Sounding enough like Dinosaur Jr with a sprinkle of other influences convinced us not to miss them. Rarely has a band sounded so similar on record to their live show. I’ll let the lack of their own sound engineer and the iffyness that created early on in the set slide. When everything came together it sounded like a band capable of doing great things.
SUPERCHARGED METZ
As Glasgow music scene musicians and hipsters gathered over at SWG3 for Shellac, the Sub Pop fanclub was out in force at Broadcast. The majority in attendance were wearing the headliners’ t-shirts. Is it weird that I’m starting to recognise the hardcore fans down the front? Er…moving on…the show was another fantastic experience.
Previously touring with Mudhoney and The Meat Puppets most likely gave METZ a chance to get pointers on how not to die on the road from endless shows. Tonight’s show has the energy and intensity you’d expect, yet they’ve figured out how to look into your eyes now before they plunge the next chord into your chest. This is controlled frenzy. This is allowing the spring to build maximum tension for maximum release. This is new.
Yes there were new songs. Nothing wildly different to what we know and love. There was however a noticeable increase in minimalist noodling, up from zero notes to the odd Cobain-esque guitar howl, which both surprised and impressed me. It didn’t sound or feel derivative even though it really should. Maybe I’m blinded by fandom or perhaps they simply need to stretch the noise canvas out beyond 3 chords.
There was moshing. A lot of moshing. No one got hurt and the band did ask everyone to take care of themselves early on. I imagine half the room had bruises the next day. It was that sort of encounter.
A quick visit to the merch table for the beautifully designed and screenprinted UK tour poster and it was another fun night at Broadcast. If we can get METZ and die! die! die! on the same bill now that would be something.
