From M.A.J. Huffman Sent Tue, Nov 4th 1997, 16:23
From M.A.J. Huffman Sent Tue, Nov 4th 1997, 16:23
=46rom the outside the Powerhaus doesn't present a very club-like fa=E7ade, with the result that I wandered along Seven Sisters Road for a while before realising the crass error I was making. The queue situation was rather bizarre as well. Tom J. arrived with some companions whilst I was waiting, with a nifty Rephlex record bag. Anyway, I got in around 11, at which time Chantal had just finished playing Headspin. Apparently there were some DAT-based exclusive previews before that. I'd never been to the Powerhaus before and I do think it is a strange venue, L-shaped with a huge bar set in the middle of one of bottom L-section, not that this led to efficient bar service. Lots of projections of specially-prepared DR slides e.g. Boards of Canada imminent, Purple is the new black etc. At around 11.15 Boards appeared to perform a half-hour set. They had three TVs showing their own cut-up style material. This was okay but I've seen so many of those things that it didn't really make any impression. However, the music: firstly, I should point out that there was nothing from Hi-Scores. There were 3/4 main songs with a few fills inbetween. I recognised one of the fills and one of the songs. No radical departures from what you will have heard but the beats were a little more incisive timbrally. Lots of nice pad sounds as you'd expect. Not a set you could really let go to, but that's not necessarily a criticism. I don't think their music will ever drive a crowd wild. It was the same when I saw them in Manchester earlier this year. Shame the set was so short though. Then Chantal was on again until Seefeel appeared. The usual diverse Chantal selection. Sorry but I can't remember too many specific songs. Seefeel began with one of those all-treated-guitar-chords tunes, presumably done mostly by Clifford (the lighting didn't permit more detailed inspection). I don't think there were any new songs in the rest of their set, but in any case I was very impressed. One or two from Quique with the rest from their Warp period, I think (haven't checked). The on-stage dynamics were pretty interesting. Sarah Peacock was stood at the right of the stage, strumming and singing; Mark Clifford a bit further back just to the left of the drummer and Darren Seymour on the left. He was er a bit of a character - after almost every song he lifted up his bass as if he were going to enact a 60s Pete Townshend routine - but no - he simply held it aloft and pulled weird faces. They appeared to be a collection of individuals temporarily united by music (ha). Anyway, I really enjoyed their set, never having seen them before. After Seefeel Rob Hall span until the end, at around 3.15. It was mostly a fairly intense Techno set, with the occasional sop to the chin-strokers like myself e.g. Nurture, Nort Route (yes) and Voodoo Ray. A good night, I'd say. Apologies for the lack of detail but the circumstances of my getting to where I was staying have probably supplanted many memory traces. adam