Maybe it’s the post-industrial surroundings, but ever since Black Sabbath arrived with their devilishly heavy sound the West Midlands keeps birthing bands of the weighty variety and tonight’s openers Tellemahookah are no exception. Bringing a thick, fuzzed-up wall of stoner rock, they get the evening off to a ground-shaking start and their sound pulls in the stragglers from the bar like files to a magnet. There’s something about three piece bands that creates a sound far bigger than their constituent parts; with no place to hide each instrument must come to the fore and that’s precisely what goes on here. If you want to know just how heavy three people can get, then you need look no further than this bunch and Tellemahookah are going to beat a path towards a bright future.
Tellemahookah
Proving that three is indeed the magic number, The Grey are another trio who create a big sound and with both bassist and guitarist performing on the venue’s floor, they make a big impact, too. Hailing from Cambridge, The Grey have been perfecting their dark art and tonight they deliver a supremely Satanic sound, and one which conjures all sorts of spirits. With a selection of distortion pedals, the guitarist dredges riffs from the very depths of hell whilst the drummer seems intent of nailing his kit to the floor, and with the bassist swinging his instrument like an axe, The Grey demand your undivided attention. Their sound is largely devoid of lyrics, it’s evocative and speaks in a way that vocalised music never could. However, at the set’s conclusion the bassist throws down his guitar to sing from the stage for a kind of primal scream and it all adds up to a full-on, unforgettable experience.
The Grey
Originally formed in 2001, Green Milk From The Planet Orange released two well received albums and undertook several US tours before going on hiatus in 2008. Thankfully, in 2016 the band was resurrected by the trio (another three-piece playing tonight!) dead k, A, and new bass player Damo, and stop by Coventry as part of their very first UK tour before continuing their visit to mainland Europe. While the previous two bands were very animated and utilised the whole venue as part of their show, the members who comprise Green Milk all remain seated, but that doesn’t make them any less powerful and they soon turn every pair of eyes towards the stage.
Green Milk From The Planet Orange
Painting their sound with bold splashes of colour, tonight’s set is a multi-coloured affair that seems to hypnotise the crowd and alter their physiology. It’s a proper cosmic freak out, make no mistake, it’s hallucinogenic (but without the hallucinogens) and takes the listener on a mind-bending, cosmic trip and Tragedy Overground (their latest single) is a prime example. It’s a song of several suites, twisting, turning and traversing over the course of twenty-two minutes, and while the band have a definite destination in mind, there’s a free form nature to their playing that feels as if it could veer in any direction. All three band members are dexterous players, locking tightly to deliver a brain-busting sound; think Krautrockers Can on amphetamine and you’d have something approaching this crew. As Green Milk From The Planet Orange depart to blow minds in another town, they’ve certainly coloured our world.
