![]() ![]() With a much better sound mix than Large Plants had enjoyed, the Seattle group sounded great, even if the venue’s acoustics compromised the clarity somewhat. The angular art-punk of Nerve Attack from 2018’s superb Digital Garbage followed, bringing to mind cult proto-punks Rocket From The Tombs, before Inside Job introduced a high tempo garage-blues shuffle that threw petrol on the already highly-combustible mosh-pit that had formed to the right of the stage. Still long-haired and ’70s-skinny, the most remarkable thing about the wry frontman was his undiminished vocal prowess, at 60 years of age. It was a stroke of genius as the set opener, setting the tone for a killer set-list that plucked some unexpected deep cuts from the veteran group’s lengthy back catalogue. Frontman Mark Arm looked momentarily taken back, responding with a bemused “We haven’t done anything yet, but thank you anyway!” before the group launched into the slow-motion landslide of Mudride from Superfuzz Bigmuff. Large Plants were then revealed as sounding something like Tim Buckley backed by The MC5 – a pretty great concept! With appealing folk-influenced vocals that also evoked Chicago’s idiosyncratic psych-folkies HP Lovecraft in places, Large Plants are definitely ones to watch – and hopefully hear – in more sympathetic surroundings.įollowing a cool warm-up playlist of classic Brit post-punk: Magazine, Gang of Four, etc – Mudhoney took to the stage to a boisterous welcome. After consulting with the soundman, a relocation to closer to the front of the stage improved matters somewhat. From my habitual spot next to the mixing desk, the sound was very muffled, with very loud bass and drums effectively drowning out the vocals and twin guitars. Tragically, the sound at SWG3 rendered the band’s performance almost unlistenable. The group’s recordings to date have been very promising, showcasing a pleasingly raw form of garage-folk with a dash of psychedelia. The more serious problem with the venue, though, was made apparent when the support act Large Plants took to the stage. SWG3’s awkward location at the end of a road next to a railway line has never been particularly welcoming, and unfortunately, the bar hasn’t improved much over time, still serving up a consistently mediocre selection of beers. The build-up to Mudhoney’s headlining set hadn’t been promising.
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