[By Jamie Halliday]
With lights flashing, feedback blaring, sound warping, instruments crumbling, fools fleeing, ears peeling, synth bleeping and an Argos toy guitar rattling – I realise that The Beatles really aren’t that big a deal.
Kieronononononon^ononononononononon [spelling is variable - Ed]are in the house. Whos’ house? Their house. Quite.
The weirdo trio, made up of (self-proclaimed) front-man Orta (electronics/keys/decks/‘vocals’), Goatboy (guitar/‘vocals’) and (float*)(p->x) (‘Dums’/’Bass’/’Vocals’) stand as a bizarre unit, sods against the odds, offering the best and only ‘brutaltechnopunk’ show in the land.
This would be my fourth time seeing them, and probably my fiftieth time reviewing them, and it’s only recently occurred to me how much the reviews they receive annoy me; ‘OMG! IT’S LIKE ZAPPA SUPERIMPOSED INTO ‘DELIVERENCE’ FUNNELED THROUGH A HOOVER, BLASTED INTO SPACE, PLAYED BACKWARDS AND UPSIDE DOWN, WHILE RADIOHEAD WEEP AND FISH TURN TO WINE! OH MY GOD! THEY ALSO SOUND LIKE THEY’RE ON DRUGS! DrUgS!!!!!!!!’ they say, from their Ivory blog; ‘shut up’ I say, from my industry hot spot.
Kieronononon^ are really, really good. They’ve recorded four ridiculous and outstanding EPs, started a wholly messy and glorious record label (roxXOR2), made an equally outlandish ‘DVDVDVDVD^VD’ and managed to make an enemy of Ric Browde (producer of Poison’s debut album…). They’re truly unique; their volume is unfathomable; their choreography is awful; their harmonies are a nasty mix of The Beach Boys and ‘Dawn of the Dead’ and their energy is unworldly (they compress a ‘Curfew-Breaking Boss Time’ three hour set into 30 minutes) – but they’ve got a heap of good songs too. Tales of bad anecdotes, bumbling secret agents, faded Super Heroes, lewd acts, vampire vodka parties (“it’s murder! It’s awesome!”) and ‘feelings, man’ all litter their memorable set, which is really what makes it worthwhile.
Some people have a ‘so bad it’s good’ view on them (like all the films I think are really good), but I don’t agree, they’re a good band, they may even be a great band – if so, they’re definitely the worst great band on earth, but still, Greatness is great.
They’re funny and they’re messy and they don’t always appear to be strictly ‘talented’ – but when they’re together, my world is rocked. I’m seeing Gary Numan on Saturday and I’m not convinced he knows exactly what he’s got to top, in a car or not.
THIS IS FACT. If you don’t like Kierononononon^ – YOU ARE COWARD.
End Report.
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andy kiang
