Institute of Contemporary Arts

These New Puritans / Zombie Zombie / Nelson

Date: 11 July 2008

These New Puritans. Photo: Gabriel Green

Camille Ross & Gabriel Green 

And so the fourth and final instalment of the Stage of the Art was upon us. After three highly successful and enjoyable evenings, the ICA was once again packed to the rafters by the frenglish musical fans ready to take in the French support acts Nelson and Zombie Zombie before hotly anticipated These New Puritans represented for the UK.

Following their great acoustic set at the previous SOTA Nelson were back...this time with amps and they meant business. Transistor radios, searing guitars and pounding drums all played their part in an energetic set. Each member played a variety of instruments throughout; a bit of drums here, some keyboards there and a dash of cello bow meets guitar to top it off. With their slightly unpolished but fun sound Nelson set the evening off nicely and have their album Revolving Doors hitting the shops about now. - GG

Tonight the second support for the Parisian/London musical exchange SOTA sees bespecked duo Zombie Zombie tweak and yelp, soaring through a synthesised prog universe lit by rainbow shafts of light bursting through the fog-filled stage. The percussionist, also half of Swedish/Paris folk outfit Herman Dune, has joined the movement away from twee folk towards danceable lyric-less music- ala Gruff Rhy with Neon Neon. Their dark epic disco should have the crowd dancing, but the lack of body movement in the audience is typical of the ICA - where serious music and serious people join minds to make serious faces. While being seriously good looking. I love it.

I'd had my reservations about the headliner, These New Puritans. Appearances in fashion mags and on Dior catwalks had me wary of the hype machine. Once I finally gave them a listen their angular abrasive beats, courtesy of George Barnett's mind boggling drumming won me over. The drama and urgency they possess on the stage is something. Lead singer Jack Barnett is decked in a silver armoured top - his signature and a gift from his brother. Jack's urges of " Fire Fire Fire More Fire" throughout the set are art school theatrics, nevertheless it's exciting, though his voice occasionally gets lost amongst the pounding of George's hyper-kinetic drumming, while the manic bass player Hein sways intently and beautiful ice maiden up back bends motionless over her lap top (sans apple symbol) making the electronic layered drones. Afterwards my compadre, who's never seen or heard of them before, remarks "They kind of seem like middle class college kids who studied sociology" Bingo! Regardless I'm a sucker for the combination of drama and danceable beats. - CM

Zombie Zombie. Photo: Gabriel Green

Nelson. Photo: Gabriel Green