The Others, 6 and 8 Manor Road
Details:

At the time of this show both Seal Cub Clubbing Club and Kleinzeit had released records made at The Combination Of studio. Tessellators were gearing up do the same. The Seal Cub record had just been named album of the day on 6 Music. Lighting enthusiast James Bunning offered to light the show and musician and sometime comedian Jeion Nejad introduced the acts.

The Others is an upstairs room with sofas and small tables. It has drawings of rastafarians hanging on the walls and a landlord who occasionally aggresses band members and who very much seems to enjoy sweeping the floor. All this gives it the feel of a renegade community centre or a crusty drinking club in Yorkshire. In short, a perfect venue and one which offset any concerns that The Combination Of was going a bit professional.

Performances:

Tessellators’ first song of the night began with the lines, “The Wolfman is not a monster. He just needs some TLC and fresh meat.” Keyboard player Moh wore bike clips with wings on but admitted to having travelled to the gig on the tube. Tessellators play a good natured form of experimental rock. Despite one song throughout which members of the band accidentally performed in conflicting time signatures, their set was excellent and well received.

Most bands that borrow from Radiohead manage to make use of all their worst angst-rock aspects, but Seal Cub Clubbing Club often sound like all the good bits at once. Bill Kenny, in a rare moment of music journalism, described their performance as being “90s indie in a happy 80s washing machine.” They had no set list, their singer, having come straight from work, was still wearing his suit and his ID card. They are a fantastically tight act and their music shifts constantly through different moods. A large crowd came to see them and they won over almost everyone.

At the finale of Kleinzeit’s set, someone towards the back of the room lifted up a table and smashed it against the wall. This led Jof, of Royalty, to describe them as, “The fightiest band I’ve ever seen.” This is a surprising distinction for so melodic an act and can only have been the influence of the absurdly virtuosic drumming. Kleinzeit’s music feeds off of their chemistry as a three-piece. Their performance made for a successful close to the evening.

The Social, 5 Little Portland Street
Details:

The first official Combination Of show after quite some time, this show was planned around Tom Brosseau’s presence in the country and was the first of two shows designed to bring the organisation into the New Year with some momentum. Your reporter was not present, due mostly to winter depression. He now regrets his weakness.

Performances:

Royalty is made up in part by Sweetbread’s Geoff Glees and former members of Surgery or the Bomb. They play a melodic, shambolic and stripped down rock music with it’s origins somewhere in American folk. Their first show came shortly before this one and received somewhat damp reviews all round. Geoff Glees switched over from third guitar to squeezbox for the Combination Of show and this apparently made all the difference, since by all reports they were awesome. Your reporter has rarely heard such an enthusiastic response to an act and, if you believe Mike Page, Tom Brosseau described them as “The best fucking band I ever saw”.

Les Shelleys is what you call it when Tom Brosseau and Angela Correa (better known as Correatown) get together to play folk standards and classics of the 20th Century. These people definitely know what they are doing. Their version of The Lonesome Death of Hattie Caroll received high praise and this set was reportedly beautiful, holding the audience’s attention throughout, beginning on a high and bringing the mood softly down to a natural close.

The natural close at the end of the Les Shelleys set may have worked against Tom Eno, who appeared with guest vocalists but without a band. He struggled to interest the audience in his acoustic vibes. This performance was described by one audience member as sounding “like something Giles Peterson would push,” and by another as resembling Take That. But perhaps Eno would have had a better night if he’d been able to go on in the middle as originally intended.

Other Observations:

The Social was thought to be a nice venue. Attendance was not bad and the night was considered a good one

The Luminaire, Kilburn

Details:

Planning for this event was initiated when Bilge Pump, who were looking for London shows, contacted The Combination Of on the recommendation of members of Soeza. Bilge Pump are not only a fantastic band, they are also very well known and respected in underground rock circles, so this presented Combination Of organisers with an offer they couldn’t refuse but were somewhat intimidated by. Still, there was some excitement and The Luminaire was secured as a venue. As the day grew closer, nobody could come up with any appropriate support acts and there was some concern about what the audience numbers might be, especially as the venue was not at all cheap. In the event there were only two bands. There were atrocious train problems coming out of Clapham Junction, which delayed your reporter, but that alone does not explain the incredibly low turnout.

Kogumaza are a three piece shoegaze-drone band featuring members of Lords. Their drummer plays with beaters and her hits are designed to augment the guitar parts, rather than underpin the music with a rhythmic base. Due to the train problems your reporter missed the first half of their set but enjoyed the second half a great deal.

Bilge Pump put in an exceptional performance and the low audience numbers didn’t seem to bother them at all. Within minutes their guitarist was soaked in sweat, their songs were pounding and noisy without being the slightest bit infantile or posturing. They are an obscenely tight unit and their ability to start songs together with no count-in remains a mystery. In short they were everything that had been hoped.

Other observations:

A lot of money went down the toilet on this venture and Combination Of organiser Mike Page may have left Bilge Pump feeling a bit disturbed with his repeated apologies for the low turn out. Due to the caliber of the bands, this night was far from an all-out failure and the audience undoubtedly enjoyed the performances.

Many questions were left in the air after this gig, especially as your reporter saw Bilge Pump elsewhere the following month and the audience was significantly larger. Would this show have been more of an achievement in a smaller venue where numbers weren’t important? How do you get people to come to shows and why do people go to the shows they choose to? How big an audience is it worth trying to attract and how small does an event have to be before it’s just a clique? Is it ever worth hiring an expensive space just in case lots of people want to see a band?

Where this leaves The Combination Of:

It seems like this journey into gig promotion has provided a lot of experiences for a lot of people and created a lot of worthwhile events. The overall feeling is that there’s little point in going much further with the “hire a space from a venue, charge on the door” formula unless, on a case by case basis, it seems obvious a good night is inevitable. Nor is there much future in monthly events for the sake of events, if only because that’s already been done in 2008. The next step could well be to find alternative venues; private clubs perhaps or cafes with licenses, people’s houses or abandoned abattoirs. Places without expectations, where door numbers need not be a concern and where audience members can feel part of the experience, rather than consumers herded in and out for bar takings. But this is only one possibility. The Combination Of invites you to make a suggestion.

Dogstar, Brixton.

Details:

At the time of this show, Das Boton and Cissy were on tour to promote a split release after Cissy contacted Billy Dolan . This was the second show of the tour. The event was held on the middle floor of Brixton’s Dogstar, a relatively large room with its own bar.

Performances:

This was Adam Beattie’s first performance with a three piece line-up of the consultants, a slightly different version of which is now his standard band. The set was the closest your reporter has seen The Consultants stray towards alternative rock. They played before many of the audience arrived and it had the feeling of someone doing something rather impressive in a school hall after hours.

Cissy are a Leeds based act with a rock band line-up, featuring synths. They play instrumental music which sometimes seems to be in several time signatures at once. Their set was compulsive viewing/listening. “It’s like watching the Old Grey Whistle Test,” pointed out Jof of Surgery or the Bomb. It hardly needs saying that this is no bad thing.

The sound of Das Boton was a kind of rolling, bouncing, riff based rock and roll. If people didn’t dance, it certainly felt like they did. For a London gig at this point in history this is an achievement the three members of Das Boton should be applauded for. Guitarist Billy Dolan gets extra points from your reporter for punching the air with his left hand whilst hitting out triplets on his bottom string with his right. The audience went ape.

Other Obsevations:

This was one of the few shows which was considered a success in all regards; it featured excellent performances which were well received by a sizable crowd. Dogstar gave the Combination Of its first opportunity to run wild on a late license. Bill Kenny took advantage of this to close the night on a Techno DJ set which divided opinion. It was also the first time an audience member ever paid for entry with a spliff. Proceedings were only slightly marred by Daniel Blight’s inexplicable decision to play Red Red Wine by UB40 in a Brixton venue.

The Macbeth, The Combination Of Christmas Party

Details:

Originally planned to be an all day event complete with food and festivities, by the time December rolled round The Combination Of Christmas Party ended up as another gig at The Macbeth, this time with mince pies on the bar.

Performances:

Dead Loss Dick played a good natured set. At Bill Kenny’s request he reprised his cover of Walking in the Air. This time he was accompanied by members of The Outdoor Types and wore a Santa hat. There were those in the room who felt this was a festive step too far, but then aren’t there always?

The Outdoor Types were, in turn, accompanied by Dead Loss Dick, who joined them as a trumpet player for the first half of their set. They gave an energetic and stomping set, providing a sonic environment which allowed for an extra pint of Guinness or two.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Tin Can Telephone’s performance was the on-stage collection of bottles and objects which they hit in rhythmic call and return like an indie samba troop. The broadness of the singer’s American accent remains a mystery to your reporter, who was assured on the night that he was and remains an Englishman. His child-man persona was also a cause of grave offence to Bill Kenny, who was appalled by the spectacle of this individual rocking back and forth, repeatedly singing “I’m looking out of my window” in a feeble Californian baby speak. The Fall it wasn’t. This is not to say, however, that absolutely nobody enjoyed it.

So Say So’s first Combination of show was much anticipated. They took to the stage with great confidence and hammered through a set of loud, anthemic and reasonably complex piano-led rock songs. It was a required blast of energy. Your reporter was particularly impressed when, in an already difficult section towards the end of one track, the drummer shifted onto the off-beat. It was only said drummer’s expression at the close of the tune which gave this away as having been a mistake. Greeted with warm applause and seasonal cheer, they mercifully prevented 2008’s slide into anti-climax.

Other Observations:

Looking back across 2008 it seemed that the events had been more often been some sort of success than otherwise and that the whole endeavor had been a success of a kind. If the brief had been to run a regular night without becoming predictable, this had certainly been achieved. Some limits of this brief had also become apparent.

The Macbeth

Details:

In stark contrast to Event 8, this show was very poorly attended. Your reporter was not present.

Performances:

Dead Loss Dick played an acoustic set featuring a slightly scary cover of Aled Jones’ Christmas Classic, Walking in The Air. He captivated the small audience.

Man Flu were considered by the awestruck bar staff of The Macbeth to be far and away the best band ever to play on one of these nights. Their reception from the audience, however, was less unequivocal, perhaps due to the small numbers.

Tessellators played well.

Other observations:

At this point the wisdom of religiously doing a monthly show came into question and it began to be suggested that from the new year shows might be less regular. Shock Defeat! cancelled due to illness.

The Macbeth.

Details:

At the time of this gig Joe Gideon and the Shark were a favourite band of Time Out and were about to go on tour with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. Their soundcheck took an unusually song time, especially considering there are only two members.

Performances:

When Galleon’s Reach began playing, Mike Page was heard to remark, “They’re so good!” This enthusiasm was lost on your reporter who considered them to be amongst the most irritating bands he had ever seen. The sordid death of Afro-beat with a guy in a bad suit talking over the top, grinning smugly and repeatedly raising his eyebrows in what he must take to be a cheeky fashion. They brought a lot of friends and thus received a lot of applause.

The Death of The Smart Set lived up to its name. It was The Smart Set’s last ever show and the audience, largely fans of Joe Gideon and the Shark, were less than generous towards the band’s confrontational public death-rattle. Footage of this performance can be seen on youtube.

Joe Gideon and The Shark pleased their fans, although Joe Gideon’s vocals and persona left your reporter wondering if he shouldn’t feel a bit awkward about his coming shows with Nick Cave.

Other observations:

This show was the most financially successful and amongst the best attended, yet is generally remembered by Combination Of regulars and organizers as one of the least enjoyable evenings.

The frontman of Galleon’s Reach was asked if he could man the door for a brief period of time but considered this to be “Going a bit far.”

October 1 2008. Cafe Oto, off Kingsland Road.

Details:

Tom Brosseau must have had a good time at the warehouse party because he specifically asked The Combination of to organize a gig for him next time he was visiting the UK. He also requested that Adam Beattie provide support.

This gig was not at all similar to the few preceding it. While they had tended towards noisy art-rock affairs, this was a more sedate proposition in a jazz and folk café complete with tables and candles.

Performances:

Olivia Chaney is an all out medievalist as far as your reporter can tell. She played slow, sad, sometimes beautiful songs on guitar, piano and squeezebox. The audience were silent during her performance and highly appreciative.

Adam Beattie played with the full London line-up of the consultants. This was a dark and theatrical set with an emphasis on the band’s dynamics and interplay. Beattie sat in a chair, hunched over, stamped his foot and sang of sadness and tragedy. It was probably not what Tom Brosseau was expecting.

Tom Brosseau was introduced by Daniel Blight, whose birthday it was. At times he played completely unplugged, walking out into the audience. He played a long and well received set, including two encores, a perhaps ill advised medley of blues and country standards and a Leadbelly song during which Adam Beattie accompanied him on the banjo.

Other observations:

This show, which could be called “The Combination Of Goes Folk,” was an all round success. It was well attended, the performers enjoyed themselves, the audience had a good night and your reporter could be seen falling over into the street with his wife at last orders.

September 2008, The Amersham Arms, New Cross.

Details:

This was the first event to take place south of the river and the only gig so far to take place at The Amersham Arms. It was the last gig to date at which Surgery or the Bomb members were largely responsible for the lineup. Indica Ritual and Cowtown, both based in Leeds and part of a group of musicians called chinchillaweb, were on tour. The Amersham has a large live room, but more than half of this was closed off (and rightly so). All bands played to a small crowd.

Performances:

Cleckhuddersfax opened the show. Amongst Combination Of organizers views on this band, who have a very loyal following, were mixed. They sounded something like Sparks, but with a chubby man in an orange nappy singing through a voice harmonizer. Your reporter found this quite charming. Others were less generous.

Cowtown, friends of Indica Ritual, are an energetic three piece whose performance was exemplary, especially considering the small crowd. They wore matching knitted jumpers and met an enthusiastic response from those present.

Indica Ritual, like Cowtown, played incredibly well despite the small number of people in the room. At times indescribably complex in the mode of Frank Zappa, they stood on and off the stage, played their tunes, and made sure everybody had a good evening.

Puttin’ On The Ritz were unbilled, unknown but came as part of the Indica Ritual package. In short, a man in a bad suit shouted the words to jazz standards while a very good drummer got naked, fucked the snare drum, pushed a cymbal into his underwear and played it or put cymbal stands up his bum. People went from getting their coats to wildly cheering.

Other observations:

Event 6 was the most poorly attended show up to this point, but is remembered by those who were there as amongst the best of the combination of live events.

Macbeth, Hoxton.

Details:

Another gig at which the lineup was greatly influenced by Surgery or the Bomb’s input. This show was less well attended than previous shows, but the audience were generally positive.

Performances:

Sweetbread played a somewhat disturbing set in which he sang a haunting Scottish folk song from the perspective of a ghost, covered the Bee Gees and finished on a Leona Lewis track.

Surgery or the Bomb reprised their Vibe Bar set with equal verve. Tom Owen broke and replaced a guitar string mid-song, losing momentum but gaining kudos.

Drinks played a kind of off-kilter Afro-beat set. More XTC and Talking Heads than Paul Simon or Vampire Weekend. The general consensus was that they were a good band who didn’t know how to end their songs. This view was not shared by Combination Of regular Ben New who argued, “It’s a Ben Owen project, but it’s a bland Ben Owen project.”

Observations:

Members of Drinks executed a peculiar body-jerking dance whilst watching Surgery or the Bomb. Members of Surgery or the Bomb executed the same dance whilst watching Drinks.