. mamamausTuesday, December 11, 2007 7:13 am
Flying through heaven and hell with you
‘Sorcery and sanctity’ said Ambrose, ‘these are the only realities. Each is an Ecstasy, a withdrawal from the common life’.
Arthur Machen is the man.
Last Friday’s Upset the Rhythm shindig was fantastic, all the bands were in a hyper-celebratory mood and the outcome was an uplifting Christmasy celebration featuring a good-vibes stage invasion during the banging No Age set, Gay Against You reaching a verbal agreement with the audience (’trust gig’!) and showing us how to wear a hoodie (and black leotards), and a high-five merry-go-round organised by the one and only Dan Deacon, massive kudos, as always, to Chris and Claire for pushing things forward, outwards and inwards so they become ever so touching, as some drunk gal told Scottish Andy and me while we were smoking a cigarette outside, ‘this scene is so different from the indie stuff I used to be into, you know, the Libertines and all of that, I was there in Candem at the beginning but now I’m fed up with it’, we didn’t know what to say, gosh, she must feel like one of these people who, after a plane crash in some derelict area, has to fight with other survivors for the right to feed on the corpses of those who died, after which ordeal is rescued by a helicopter and comes back to civilisation with renewed faith in mankind, to try again, you know, like a scene version of Mr. Scrooge or something.
Anyway, the lovely London Dome had a Christmas grotto on one side and that’s where Haunted Graffiti & Panda Bear associate John Maus spread his arms in the darkness like some sort of skeletal bird carrying Ian Curtis eternal soul, and twitched to the strangely danceable melodies of his absolutely gobsmacking new album, ‘Love is Real’ (best artwork of the year by the way), now, really, you have to check this guy out, he sounds like an oddball Gothic version of Stephen Merrit totally overdosed on Wendy Carlos and early Jarre and I’m only starting to scratch the surface of the colossal sonic cathedral he’s built, roam its halls and enjoy the glorious interplay of light and shadows reverberating through the stained glass windows, while an eerily beautiful funereal march made for people who die in love pounds mighty, that’s where it’s at, Love is Real indeed, and we’re feeling it.
Probably the last addition to our albums of the year collection kids, get on with it and get it, UTR rule.
John Maus- My Whole World is Coming Apart
Was a real shame the sound lady thought there wasn't enough time for an encore 
