StetLab / 3XE / Spank

Thursday 8^th November, doors 8:30pm

Upstairs at The Roundy

Cork Music Collective in conjunction with U.C.C. Music Department present

StetLab

3XE

Spank

StetLab is the brain-child of one Han-earl Park, from U.C.C. Music Department and one third of 3XE. Its intention is to be a performance platform for those interested in the high-rise trapeze sans net that is live improvisation. The first performers were the three members of 3XE – Han-earl Park on guitar, Bruce Coates (an established improvisational performer in his own right) on sax (tenor? alto?) and Sarah O’Halloran on ‘stuff’, as she put it, which turned out to be, for the most part, vocalisations. They did a couple of numbers to begin with, which started as sounding very disjointed and as if they were not connecting with eachother but improved with time so that the second number was sounding distinctly modern minimal and had enough inherent structure that it could have been mistaken as having been pre-rehearsed. At this point there was a call for any other musicians present to join. Andrea Bonino (of Hadasha) ventured out with his guitar. Naturally, with an increase in numbers, the sound started to fill out and what was originally rather stark, verging on thin, began to layer up and blend. This was the last we heard of Ms O’Halloran for a while (until 3XE took over again after a break) and this reviewer was not entirely sad, as she was finding the vocal work rather lacking in inventiveness – mainly long held notes. At times, she (Ms O’Halloran) could be seen to be contributing more rhythmically interesting material, which was good, you might say, excecpt that she could not be heard. And this was a disappointment. In fairness, though, her voice could be heard more towards the end and, I must admit, she was producing interesting sounds – animal growls, high yipping and shrieks – I’ll tell you, you cannot give in to feelings of self-consciousness and embarrassment if you want to do this; rather you must jump off that cliff and see what happens on the way down.

Actually, as a side bar, the volume overall was too much, even over-powering. This is a small, intimate venue. I see little reason the be forced to shout a conversation as a result of the volume or feel pinned to the wall (on occasion) by the sheer weight of noise coming at you from the stage. A word to the wise to the sound engineer perhaps?

A change of musicians later to include Coates, Bonino, Niwel Tsumbu (drums), Jason Butler (vocals) and Kevin Terry (guitar) produced perhaps the highlight for me from the improv. section of the evening. Seriously – when improvisation gels, it rocks, and this gelled. Jason joined in in the middle with free verse (I think he was making it up as he went, I could be wrong), wandered into ‘Wade in the Water’ for the hell of it and ended on more free verse. Miraculously, all up there were connecting on some plane or other – or perhaps they were latched onto Jason’s vocals, as the music began to match the words. Whatever was going on up there, it was worth every second.

3XE closed the experimental section but I confess I missed this bit as I was outside having a couple of cigarettes. Bad girl.

Spank (aka Eoin O’Sullivan) took to the stage with his cap (Dingle’s finest) and guitar and with Cian O’Mahony on drums. I find it very difficult to describe Spank’s music. I don’t know why this is – he’s a guy with a guitar (and a cap) playing rock. Maybe it’ because of all the influences which swim around your head (mine anyway) when you listen to him – Tom Waits, Howlin’ Wolf, The Doors, Blues – which cloud the issue. Despite the influences though Spank has his own sound, his own style that is Spank, something unusual in one so young (compared to this reviewer at any rate). He has an old, mature sound, one which feels like it was years fermenting.

His set had a definite garage-band sound to start with but this gave way to deep guitar, deep growling vocals, deep lyrics (I am assuming – he mumbles). There is a definite Woodstock feel to this man live – not a bad thing in this air-brushed, uber-waxed age. Or as one lady-punter put it, ‘He’s definitely got balls!’ Hmm, yes, charming. Mind you, when you heard the last number - fast, driving rock – you would find yourself agreeing. Simply superb.

A last note on StetLab. Improvisation is not easy on the ear or the head. There is little to latch onto and little of anything of which your brain can make sense. Quite a lot of the time, it is an unholy cacophony. But for every minute of noise, there are a few seconds of sheer and unadulterated joy and that alone is worth all the furrowed-brow, ‘what now?’ confusion. For those of you interested in spreading your musical wings, the next StetLab is scheduled for December 13^th, same place, same time.

As for Spank? Well, you know, I am a good, convent-reared girl … so let me just raise my hem a few inches…OOH! That’s better.