2 [LIVE REVIEW] The Wedding Present @ The Crocodile

Words by QuitterDan

The Wedding Present
Girl in a Coma
4/21/10
The Crocodile

Let’s just say that today was going to be a good day. After spending considerable time & dough at Seattle’s coolest new vintage everything store, Damaged Goods, I walked out with Led Zeppelin’s “Physical Graffiti” on vinyl. This was going to be a day to remember. Waiting patiently in the smokers lounge at the Crocodile, for an event no 30+ indie punk fan would dare miss, I felt myself reflecting on the first time I heard The Wedding Present’s now classic “Bizarro” album (Which was the reason for the tour, the band were playing it in it‘s entirety tonight). Meh, I thought, sounded like the Buzzcocks with Morrisey singing. A couple spins later, I was really understanding David Gedge’s songwriting, where he was coming from, and his now legendary guitar playing. I became a huge fan of this album, band, and really related to David’s tales of heartbreak & loss. So to say I was excited to hear the album live for the first time would be an understatement.

Openers Girl in a Come came on, bombasting into some tune of which I have no idea what the hell it was. My first impression was, sounds like they threw all their favorite music in one pot, and tried to mix up as many styles as possible per song. But something was there, and guitarist/ vocalist Nina Diaz proved to be that something. Her vocal style hails comparisons to Bjork, and Elizabeth Fraser, with powerhouse guitar playing, an amazing combination. Bassist Jenn & Drummer Phanie round out an impressively tight rhythm section. I bought their latest cd, TRIO BC after the set, and have been quite impressed with their versatility, melody & power.

The Wedding Present hit the stage, and as expected, I was disappointed in the band’s newer material. Gedge has a knack for writing the melody from Heaven, and the breakup from Hell, but I feel at some point (maybe it was the 7” single a month for 12 months experiment back in the early 90’s), that he fell off the wagon. The Band did play a couple great tunes out the gate (“Dalliance” from 1991’s brilliant Seamonsters lp & “Everyone thinks he looks daft”, another early favorite). I haven’t seen TWP since the 90’s, and the band is completely new, except for Gedge. They all appear young enough to be his kids, but handled the instruments capably.

After a ten spot of intro songs, the band started the “Bizarro” album in it’s entirety. "Brassneck" shot out the gate like a stallion from hell, and the groove was there. Following was "Crushed", my second favorite track off the record. An explosive burst of punk that really can’t be described unless heard. Following "No and Thanks", came "Kennedy", the one radio heavy tune from the album. The crowd was eager for this one, and showed much love with extreme gyration. By the time the band reached my favorite tune, the 9 minute melodically layered tour de force "Take Me!", the drummer seemed flat out tired (as he should, the original drumming on the lp is phenomenal & aggressive), he held out to the end, but it appeared to take a strain on his ticker.

The band closed the evening with "Be Honest", the album closer. Gedge strummed & sang his heart out, and gave us what we came for, the rest of the band did their part( to be fair, these side musicians play newer WP tunes just fine, but somehow don‘t have the spirit or the stamina to recreate the past). I can’t help but feel that with another set of more able musicians, this could have been a much more magical show. I made my way home & put on side 1 of “Physical Graffiti”.