Into the Pit: 005: Mad Capsule Markets – Live at Corporation Sheffield – 11-December 2004

Three hugely mismatched bands, a packed Corporation and a mental crowd. We need more gigs like that in Sheffield.

Anyhow. 65daysofstatic were on first, and were jaw-droppingly intense. Think Godspeed with more electronics, and less quiet bits. Heart-stopping melodies weave through the (instrumental) songs, electronic beats skitter in and out of tracks, and all through the maelstrom the band continue, oblivious to the crowd at points, lost in the music. Happily the EP (Retreat! Retreat!) is as good…

McQueen were the unlucky band following that, an all-girl fourpiece that just play straight up sleazy rock. Not all that interesting to listen to, the lead singer was certainly worth watching. The kind of singer that just has the star quality, that probably knows she will be famous. But methinks she needs more interesting music than what was being peddled.

Mad Capsule Markets were just…bizarre. Four young-looking Japanese guys (bearing in mind the band have been going for 15 years, I get the feeling they ain’t as young as they look), throwing out industrial thrash a la Atari Teenage Riot, or breezy punk like Blink 182, or stomping hip-hop – often in the same song. They clearly were feeding off the insanity in the crowd, everybody having huge cheesy grins on their faces for the entire gig. Bit Crusherrrr sounded fantastic, and then with the end of set/encore running as Midi Surf, then Tribe and Pulse, who could possibly complain?

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