COLLAPSE BOARD

Giants Of Science + Undead Apes @ Rics Cafe, 25.03.11

I fucking love Undead Apes.

I suppose you’d call them a Brisbane punk group though ‘serious’ punk aficionados might take issue. I’m not sure. They’re more Ramones than The Clash, more Descendants than Dead Kennedys.  Their debut record, Grave Consequences, was one of the local highlights of last year. The fact that the national broadcaster has not elevated them to superstar status is beyond me. I caught them live for the first time at Rics Café last Friday night. Undead Apes are the ones dressed in military uniforms complete with fluro green armbands.

Starting with ‘Eat Yr Brain’, they play the majority of their debut record, throwing in the odd newer number. At one stage, the imposing lead guitarist breaks a guitar string but good ol Ben Salter is on hand to lend him a Fender Stratocaster. They often pause to mention purchasable merch or comment on the length of shirt sleeves, but generally the songs keep coming thick and fast. ‘E.S.P’ is particularly mind-bending. ‘Lobotomy’ is pure fucking joy. I love this shit.

Latest tracks by Undead Apes

I look around and note a few – I suppose you’d call them celebrity – onlookers from the Brisbane music ‘scene’. Seja, Ben Ely, Ben Corbett, the two guitarists from The Mercy Beat, Justin Edwards. [Celebrities? - Ed] Not sure if they’re there for the Apes, but they seem to be enjoying it as much as me. Fists raised, new fans?

There is some laughter when ex-Sekedin guitarist (did they ever break up?) Simon Graydon says, tongue firmly in his cheek, something along the lines of:

“This is a new song, can Brendan Eales please turn off his earphone bootlegging device. We’re trying to make a living here.”

Primary vocalist and bassist Adam reminds me of an early 19^th Century Edmund Blackadder.

I fucking love Undead Apes.

I’m glad I stuck around for Giants of Science. This must be the first time I’ve seen them in six or seven years (supporting mclusky in Brisbane, I believe). They imploded for a bit but they’re back, possibly better than ever. They’ve managed to land the lucrative support slot for Foo Fighters. Foo Fighters love coming to Australia, particularly when there is some sort of disaster of biblical proportions. The Giants will play to a crowd unfamiliar with their music, but possibly inspire some young kid unfortunate enough to have been dragged along to the concert by his yuppie Foo Fighters-loving parents. Yes, little kid, some rock does have proverbial testicles.

Out of the various groups vocalist Ben Salter is involved with, I love the Giants the most. Salter really gets to exercise his larynx, and the power of the four-piece shatters. I’m sure I saw a girl, who I assume only wanted to dance to the new Strokes record, weeping in the corner.

The Giants are orientated towards the 90s hard rock – I’m reminded of Helmet – but they call it Intelligent Hard Rock (IHR). I don’t know the song names, though the riffs are familiar. Some guy really wants to hear ‘Ambulance’ so they play that. Someone else wants ‘Snowpea’ and they play that. They play a new song called something like ‘Your Coke is Pepsi’ and it sounds like a track off Boris’ Pink, full of frantic, aggressive riffs and slightly fuzzed indistinguishable vocals.

By the end of the set, I’m too drunk to take notes.

I never take notes.

Photography: Kate Byrne

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 30th, 2011 at 3:15 pm. It is filed under Brisbane, Live Reviews and tagged with Ben Ely, Ben Salter, Boris, Brendan Eales, Giants Of Science, Helmet, Justin Edwards, Ramones, Seja, sekidin, The Mercy Beat, undead apes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.