So, went to the Purson gig in Manchester on Monday night and it seemed like stepping back in time to old school rock gigs. The first band didn't start until 9.20 and Purson didin't finish until 12.30. Having got used to going to gigs that are over by 10.30 - 11.00 at the latest this was a bit of a culture shock.
First band on were Evil Blizzard who were great fun. A drummer and three bassists, one of which played some keyboards, and wearing some very silly/frightening masks, they played a short but interesting set. I'd definitely be interested in some recorded material in the future.
Gnod was the usual anarchic, chaotic noisefest that we've come to love. Perhaps not as good as they were when they supported Acid Mothers Temple back in November but this could have been down to the sound not being quite as clear as it had been in the Ruby Lounge.
As for Purson, sadly to say I thought they were massively underwhelming. Their songs seemed half-baked with the 'heavy' bits seemingly tacked on to make them appear more interesting and vital than they actually are. Far too 'poppy' for my tastes and they seem to suffer from what a lot of new bands have, in that they can't seem to come up with a real ending for their songs. Back in the early 70s they would have been third on a bill featuring the Groundhogs and Stray and that's were they would have deserved to be. You're far better sticking with your Crumbling Ghost or Wolf People albums if you want proggy, heavy, folk influenced rock.
It was probably due to the lateness of the hour but by half way through Purson's set there were only about 25 people in the audience, and the place had been quite full for both Evil Blizzard and Gnod. The other 24 didn't seem to be too taken with Purson either and the response was muted and polite.
Maybe in another 18 months they might have developed into something special but for now they're anything but that.
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