The Dead C, New Zealand's most famous noise outfit, been together over 30 years, terrorizing receptive audiences the world over with their improvised rock noise. I have been vaguely aware of them over the years and may have even seen them play in 93' when they supported Sonic Youth in Christchurch, although I have no memory of the support band so I may have been late or distracted.
Since my re immersion into New Zealand music in the last 5 or 6 years, much more of the Dead C has become known to me and I have several of their vinyl releases now in my collection and so it has been about 5 years of wanting to see them live on top of their recording output. Live Dead C appearances are rare, even in New Zealand. There was a gig in Lyttelton(where Bruce Russell lives) in 2014 which just precedes my renewed interest and they played down in Dunedin several months ago, but that is all I am aware of recently. Both of the last two lines of flight festivals in Dunedin I went to, all three members of the band were there and played, just not together. So it was with great excitement that I saw a poster come up on the Dead C Facebook group announcing this gig.
I arrived rather early as I had about an hours drive to get to Lyttelton and I wanted to get there as doors open just in case it filled up too quick, it wasn't likely but it is a small venue and it was door sales only. Alistair Galbraith was doing his sound check when I arrived so I got a drink and sat at the front table and watched him setting up and playing some stuff, he had another guitarist with him and after they stopped they were joined by a drummer wherein they proceeded to rock out incredibly to a couple of songs from Alistair's vast repertoire, one of which I recognized. Alistair was shredding his guitar, it was almost the highlight of the night, and it was just the soundcheck.
Friend Craig arrived soon after and joined me at the table as we talked and watched all the local underground and some not so underground Christchurch Musos arrive, including Hamish Kilgour, of The Clean, Stephen Cogle of The Terminals and Chris Heazlewood of King Loser fame. Alistair started his set alone using quirky pre recorded samples to back up his mostly short but very quirky and unique songs. After several of these the second guitarist joined him as he picked up his guitar and showed us just how good a guitarist he is on several more songs, again many are very short and finish suddenly. The Drummer, Matt Middelton, joined them for the last couple of raucous songs that really impressed , like the sound check.
The Dead C then set up and rather informally kinda just started in playing as they each got their gear plugged in and adjusted and set upon the first piece of industrial improvised noise. The lights were mostly off, so it was to dark to see much of what the lads were doing but as you would expect it was a pretty unholy wall of noise and feedback and manipulations with Robbie bashing away in the back.
Robbie sort of brought the first piece to a close by leaving his drum kit and coming round to Bruce and got the crowd to sing Happy Birthday to Bruce who had just turned 60 I believe. They then set into the next piece which to be honest didn't sound a lot different from the first piece but it was just as good, and towards the end of the piece Hamish Kilgour snuck in with Robbie and started in on his drums adding to the chaos. and as the piece ended that was it, they took off their guitars and stopped. Two pieces in probably less then half an hour, which was a little disappointing, I could have handled a lot more.
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