Joe Reid (drums) +
Neil Graham (guitar, vocals); Josh Fascia (bass guitar); Steve Grant
(keyboards, vocals); Liam Mulpetre (guitar); Alex Brand (bass guitar)
(Review by Russell)
Earlier this year
BSH caught drummer Joe Reid in action, first at the Dun Cow with the Bold Big Band
and subsequently at his interim postgrad recital in Newcastle University's
purpose-built Music Studios. On this late summer day Reid was about to undertake
his final recital before heading out into the scary world of hustling for
gigs hoping to bag a seat on a globetrotting tour bus.
The title of Reid's
recital took the form of a question: How Can Complexity Be
Musical? Earplugs were on offer as they had been earlier in the day at
fellow drummer Will Earl's recital. One again BSH eschewed the offer. Noise?
Bring it on! Reid's set list included riffing, shredding numbers by the likes
of Porcupine Tree, Animals as Leaders (it appears Reid and Earl are of a like
mind) and Wasting Destiny (Reid's gigging band). Time signatures (7/8, 7/4,
7/16, 20/16 - there were others!), meter changes, polyrhythms, evidience of
endurance - so this is the kind of thing Reid has been looking at during his
time at university. 
Wasting Destiny
band mates Neil Graham and Josh Fashia joined him once again as they had done
earlier in the year and on this occasion additional help came in the form of
Liam Mulpetre (busking/gigging guitarist of local repute) and bassist Alex
Brand. As with Will Earl's recital, Reid's performance occupied the fast lane
with more frenentic shredding from Mulpetre. It wasn't jazz, it was loud, no
two ways about it. Reid's programme notes included a quote from Aaron
Copland: Music that is born complex is not inherently better or worse
than music that is born simple. Reid will continue to gig with Wasting
Destiny. Who knows what lies ahead, time will tell. 
No comments :
Post a Comment