Event Review: The Assembly - The Frown, The Wild Eyes, Ulterior (UK)

1 October 2011

“… I suspect it’s more to do with people not really being interested in music, much as they’d like to stress the point with A-symmetrical hairstyles and tepid knowledge of whatever is chic on the Euro Charts.”

Piling into a car with my pal Yusif, sulkily clad in my fur coat and Eve Rakow from Joburg band The Frown literally all taped up in Latex, was quite the loveliest start to a night that I only wish more people in this town had been a part of.

Hurtling towards The Assembly listening to the hellish fire of The Birthday Party in anticipation of a pretty exciting line up that included UK band Ulterior, only to be greeted by a hollow venue was more than just a pity. I suppose a slightly hefty entrance fee may have put the usual crowd off but I suspect it’s more to do with people not really being interested in music, much as they’d like to stress the point with A-symmetrical hairstyles and tepid knowledge of whatever is chic on the Euro Charts.

Eve Rakow aka The Frown is nothing if she’s not the ultimate party girl. Wriggling in clinging black liquorice, lacquered onto her body she shrugged off the news that her DJ was irreparably AWOL: she elected Yusif of The Great Apes to pull out all the stops with her Mac on stage. Despite the apologetically small crowd, Eve debuted a strong and sassy feminine performance to Cape Town with her glittery Mac Made music and husky vocals.

The Wild Eyes are almost too much fun and their popalicious, sexy sonics drew in the dancers amongst us and suddenly The Assembly was ringing with vibe. A tiger clad Nikhil Singh, manical bass player Gareth Dawson and dance-ability driven drumming from Len Cockcraft together with a creative gear set-up kept this band as one of the most interesting things I’ve ever come across. Watching The Wild Eyes is like biting into a black Fizz pop. Yum.

Ulterior were just about the sweetest things I’d ever seen; all shades and step hair cuts. Sound wise I enjoyed the dark tones and edgy ambiance of the music they made. Dark cerebral mix of electronic and synthetic dance with a raw driving instrumental power that had all of us zombies slinking and slumping our shoulders through the smoke filled Assembly. Considering they’d recently played with The Sisters Of Mercy they are certainly a band turning up to when they grace your musically starved city. Ahem.

REVIEW: Eliza Dey

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