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PELICAN: Oran MOR in Glasgow - Live Review
23rd Apr 2007
Pelican - Oran Mor, Glasgow (April 16th)
"Okay, we're gonna play" murmurs Laurent Lebec in his gentle American accent, sweeping hair out of his eyes, and now we know the party's in full swing! The crowd slowly rise from OranMor's big red couches and wander towards the front of the refurbished church...
If the nonchalance deceived us, it was only until the first notes were torn from two big guitars literally humming with distortion - booming into life, the guitars and bass thump us like a bulldozer with no brakes, and the drums aren't very passive either.
Devoid of vocals, Pelican let their music do the talking. Maybe they're just shite at singing, but it's certainly not shyness - their music rings with dignity, purpose, and their chests literally swell at the grandness of it all.
If anyone was still waiting to be blown away, their needs were surely met after just 15 minutes when they launched "Drought", an awesome treble-assault from the frontline with the two guitarists ripping out chords in sync and four-stringer Bryan Herwerg pummelling the speakers until they literally shook with his massive bass lines.
How could you possibly add any sort of vocals to this monumental warcry of aggression - the soundtrack to Armageddon has landed in Glasgow, the skies have opened with God's wrath, and it's being delivered by three bearded hipsters and a science teacher -cum-guitarist who would look quite comfortable in a tweed jacket and some elbow patches.
There's still room for the night to get a little stranger. A violin bow makes an appearance - bear in mind, there's nary a violin in sight - and is used to tease notes from a guitar. We're treated to "Lost in the Headlights" from the forthcoming "City of Echoes", as well as "Aurora Borealis" and "Red Ran Amber".
After an hour's worth of heavy headbanging, Pelican have played their way through, what, 2 or maybe 3 songs. Well, it's hard to know - epic soundscapes that could move mountains and clear trees, amps ringing with beautiful feedback, a constant struggle for dominance between the four instruments, and gaps between "songs" punctuated by quiet coughs and sips of water where there'd usually be a bit of banter with the crowd...
No one told Pelican that live music wasn't done this way, but if you're wanting to rewrite the rule book then this is a grand style to do it in! They certainly don't seem like an encore kinda band, but maybe they're feeling generous - after reappearing with the keyboard player from These Arms Are Snakes, they throw in one last 10-minute blast of caustic, jagged melodies.
Advice for any upcoming bands - fire your singer and learn to make beautiful noise.
Graeme Johnston
www.hydrahead.com/pelican
www.myspace.com/pelican
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