California comes to Leeds… Wooden Shjips brought the meanest, tightest groove with a white hot guitar that sheared through the drones and beating pulse of the rhythm section.
The room was hot, sweaty and the music was loud… I’ve been listening to the Wooden Shjips for a few years now but this was my first experience of them live. The bassist anchored in the centre of the stage, hitting a groove with the drummer and not letting go till the songs fade into fuzz…
An audience dancing, shaking lost in the throb and the layers of sound, drones from the keyboards and Ripley’s voice are draped over the throbbing bass and pummelling drums, the momentum builds up and then the soundscape unleashes that wild guitar sound and we are lifted to a fucking psychedelic heaven… we wind down and the next song builds up, the piece picking up as the gig draws towards a close, the band leave the stage, the bassist is carried into the crowd… they’re back and the encore kicks in, harder, faster, wilder these guys are ripping the Brudenell apart and it’s glorious
We want it psychedelic, but we’re not looking for paisley and whistles we want mind melting, soul lifting, retina burning fuzz, drones and guitars that would make Zeus throw his eyes to the heavens and bust a move
The Wooden Shjips are amazing on record but live they step up a gear and you become immersed in the sound, a place in which I could happily remain
