Deerhoof – Edinburgh Bongo Club

Deerhoof

December 8th 2009

Two confessions have to be made at the outset of this review. Firstly, previous to this gig, this writer was more or less completely unfamiliar with the work of the San Franciscan quartet Deerhoof. Secondly, having only just completed an article for this very website stating that “Anyone who misses the opportunity to see DIVORCE [tonight's support band] is, frankly, a fucking idiot”, he manages to do precisely that, arriving with the dying notes of this tremendous band’s, no doubt brutal and thrilling, set. How embarrassing. Fucking idiot.

Anyway, Deerhoof are swift to take to the stage, and what an odd bunch they look, awkward, gangly drummer Greg Saunier an interesting contrast to diminutive singer and bassist Satomi Matsuzaki, cute as a button as she is. It doesn’t take long for them to establish an agenda for the night’s proceedings, starting with the eccentric noise-twee of ‘Panda Panda Panda’.

The first few songs are mostly instrumental, and verge dangerously to that most lamented of genres, Jazz Rock. Now, it’s true that this is normally a hideous prospect (with a few notable exceptions), but the ‘hoof actually pull it off, with just the right amount of fun and melody to balance out the abstract rhythmic and tonal excursions. They synchronise movements, they gurn, Matsuzaki enacts the lyrics with child-like enthusiasm. It’s both genuinely interesting in terms of the music and the show provided. It’s hard to pigeonhole too. There are bits of Sonic Youth, Hendrix, Zappa, but even then, it’s a stretch to pin down the influences, and it doesn’t matter, because it makes for an exciting concoction.

The only real drawback is, at times, it almost seems like too much. Having said that, they seem aware of the potential for boredom with too much eclectic avant-garde play and know just when to pare things back. Deerhoof achieve a combination that would appear nigh on impossible on the page – noisy, melodic, experimental, charming, fun, interesting music and this is reflected in the performance. If at least a couple of those qualities don’t tick boxes for you dear reader, then there’s probably a chance that you don’t like music.

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