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Super Furry Animals: The Psychedelic Furries

A spellbinding night in Amsterdam.
13 december 2001, Melkweg, Amsterdam (NL)

Tekst: Alex Tobin

Publicatiedatum: 02 november 2001

There used to be a time when Super Furry Animals had an inherent anarchic streak running throughout their work. While they oftentimes created shambolic havoc on stage, there was also a playful experimentation coursing through their songs. These, clearly, were men without an eye for the obvious commercial aspects involved with the great moneymaker that calls itself the record industry (much to the consternation of their then-label Creation), men who - to paraphrase one of their songs - clearly didn't give a fuck.

While this year's grand epic of an album 'Rings Around The World' takes in more influences than ever, culling from a diversity of sources as wide-ranging as The Beatles, Burt Bacharach, and Brian Wilson-era Beach Boys, all smothered with a generous splat of psychedelia, the curious and observer wonders how the band will be able to manage to pull this feat off in a live setting.

In Amsterdam, things start promisingly. Walking into the Melkweg, one immediately spots some differences to other, more "conventional" rock gigs. SFA are treating us to a unique sonic experience, having installed additional speakers at the rear of the venue as well. The idea is to fully immerse the crowd in quadraphonic sound, thereby eliminating the standard front-heavy acoustics that are generally the norm. Secondly, we see four large-size video screens, two above the stage, and one to the left and right of the stage respectively. This, coming after the DVD release of 'Rings Around The World', is going to be a full-on multimedia experience, arousing the audience's different senses and widening their perception of the music performed. On these screens, we see a 70s-style sound system with double turntables and a pair of hands vigorously spinning rare and vintage curios. Just for a moment, when the dub comes pounding in, this could be Electric Avenue in Brixton in the mid-1980s. Until Glen Campbell takes over the reins, that is. The band, transmitting live from backstage, are clearly enjoying warming up their punters with smooth tunes, to which a king-size dose of tomfoolery is added.

Finally, after the audience has endured a lengthy wait (The show had been advertised by the venue as starting much earlier than it did.), Super Furry Animals take the stage. Stomping rock fills the air, as the sounds of 'Ice Hockey Hair' fill the Melkweg, followed by the first melodic turn and one of the highlights of 'Rings Around The World', 'Sidewalk Serfer Girl'. Already, it becomes clear that this is going to be a professional rock show after all, with DVD images and films choreographed minutely to tie in with each drum beat and guitar riff. '(Drawing) Rings Around The World' and 'Receptacle For The Respectable' follow, alas without Paul McCartney sitting in to chew some vegetables (McCartney, on the album, chews celery and carrot during the track, both reprising his role on the seminal Beach Boys track 'Heroes And Villains' and restating his role as a committed vegetarian.) We do, however, get a roadie with a John Lennon-face mask, coupled with singer Gruff Rhys munching on two stalks of leek, fittingly enough the Welsh national vegetable.

The majority of the tracks on tonight's setlist are taken from the new album (also 'No Sympathy', 'Juxtapozed With U', 'It's Not The End Of The World?', 'Fragile Happiness', 'Presidential Suite', 'Run! Christian, Run!'), with a smattering of nuggets from 'Radiator', 'Guerrilla', and last year's Welsh-language release 'Mwng', leaving only the debut 'Fuzzy Logic' untouched. After several slower-tempo songs, giving the audience the full opportunity to take in the often quite imaginative and hilarious films, the Furries launch into an all-out rock attack, coupling 'Do Or Die' with 'Calimero' and 'The Man Don't Give A Fuck' (prefaced by the sole political statement of the evening, a loop of the message "all Governments are liars and murderers" played for about two minutes). The crowd, understandably, go wild, even occasionally moshing in the front, as the ever-so-tight SFA launch one blistering guitar-laden salvo after the other. It's this balance between introspective songs of delicate beauty and audience-pleasing, straightforward rock that have endeared the band to their legions of loyal fans, and they certainly don't disappoint on that front tonight.

The only negative side of the Super Furry Animal live experience is, as mentioned before, the lack of spontaneity that often arises during their live set. This is understandable and a given whenever bands choose to rely on intricately-timed visuals, but less film and the occasional outburst of passion might have won over a few more people. Still, nobody left complaining, as - once again - SFA prove that they are one of the most intelligent rock bands out there today. Who knows what they'll decide to do next?

http://www.kindamuzik.net/live/super-furry-animals/super-furry-animals-the-psychedelic-furries/996/
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