Reviewed onFriday July 15
With Weedeater crossing the seas from the States, picking up Brit rockers Conan along the way, it’s difficult to put your finger on the atmosphere or the people at Manning Bar: it’s a motley crew of punters, and stoner rock has lured them in tonight with a maniacal grin.
Support act Lo! arrive with a surprisingly powerful opening from frontman Sam Dillon – who’d have thought such a pretty boy could make that kind of noise? Dillon channels a young Ozzy Osbourne with a demonic glint in his eye, and by their final song, the singer is creeping among the crowd spreading the brutality of his vocals and pumping at his chest in the most manly of fashions. It’s a good clean finish; as clean as it gets for a band so dark and epic.
Despite the vocals of Jon Davis getting washed away with feedback in their first couple of songs, Conan bring a gnarly bassline you can feel through your feet. You get lost in the lull of euphoric riffs, and by mid-set, the pace picks up and so does the crowd. With ‘Earthernguard’ they’ve saved the best song till last, one that chugs along and takes the people with it, as bassist Chris Fielding takes over the bulk of the vocals with a raspy element.
Casual in presence yet intent on purpose, Weedeater drummer Travis ‘T-Boogie’ Owen sets up in the middle with a sidelong view for the crowd, as bassist ‘Dixie’ Dave Collins is on the edge of the stage, riling up the audience. Owen’s arms are waving about perpetually, a fluid motion of skill; the music is brutal, grinding and beautiful.
What’s so captivating about Weedeater is the delirium that consistently overpowers them. Collins feigns crossed eyes, and he and guitarist Dave ‘Shep’ Shepherd jump around as their amps channel a guttural feed across their fans’ heads.
Stoner rock has a special kind of vibe. It doesn’t really fit in a particular pigeonhole of music – it’s the unusually appealing underbelly of the alternative world, and as Weedeater prove, it brings all kinds of explosive reactions to its wonderfully visceral call.
