This is rated six bottles. Seven if you were at this gig and still have your hearing. What we know so far is that Lost Talk's first LP, "Symbol/ Signal" was released last year on Spooky Records. When I heard it I lost my shit.
"Selfless Shame Promotion" is a cassette-only physical release (and yes, you can get it on download so you can burn it onto CD and play it in your car and give the pedestrians a headache) released to remind you what the band are like, prior to a new LP and presumably gigs in your town.
The track list, in case I get lost, is A: Cheap Crimes/ Thin Skin/ Shoe Shine/ Igloo/ Annie; and B: Chrome Alone/ Spotless Temperament/ Enter the Muskrat/ Jesus-Centaur
The packaging is brilliant, and takes me right back to 1985 when you could get all manner of illicit bootleg live tapes at Camden Market in the UK; the covers were almost carefully prepared by music lovers who clearly didn't have a lot of respect for musicians (I recall the Birthday Party walking up to one (no doubt quaking) dealer in Camden and saying: "Oh, our tapes! We'll have those!" and taking the lot. Without, of course, paying.
"Live at the Old Bar" is a what we all wanted those tapes to be - a good quality recording (multitrack, apparently) of the launch of "Symbol/Signal" and features tracks from that album, three drummers (!! ffs) and three previously unreleased tracks which will appear on Lost Talk's second album. (Thank god for press releases, eh?)
The press release tells us the personnel are Steven Smith, guitar; Max Ducker, guitar; Ben Rose, bass; Amy Mowle, vocals and occasional drums, and more drums by Liz Turner and Sam Reid. Worth noting is that with the exception of Mowle, the rest of Lost Talk have been (or are in for all I know) at least one other band, which means (to me at least) they're determined to pursue this often unpleasant road.
Now look. I'm a pore ol man, OK? but nothing's changed with people under 25 since I was 11. Most of the world is filled with know-nothing pointless lives, with no more purpose other than to get their house, car and shitty furniture and die. Thank god for the few who believe life is worth a tad more than that.
I hurt my ears recently at the JAMC and the Beasts didn't help. Then I put the E.T. Explore Me CD on and I'm feeling tender, wan and listless.
Alright. I'm going in.
If you've not got into Lost Talk, rectify this. They're smart, abrasive, sometimes ugly, driving and persistent. You'll either be repelled or immediately struck by their power, precision and smarts.
There's a lot going on here; clever inventive guitars whipping like a dying red-belly, nailed over rhythms which could almost be a gig on their own. And I definitely want to meet whoever the Chrome fan is. Mowle's vocals are heartfelt, real and a vortex of cathartic fervour.
Fuck, what a blast. Lost Talk belong overseas, crushing festivals and striding through stadia...so buy it here.
