Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
Ben Lowes-Smith discovers a trio of alt-rap delights at The Lubber Fiend
Image by Psy Harrison
Ceiling Demons’ currency is sincerity. Their soulful brand of hip-hop is tonight supported by a bass player and a drummer creating a fuller sound you could bathe in. Their set starts with an odd affectionate tribute to Newcastle United’s qualification for the Champions League – brothers Psy and Dan are donning retro Newcastle shirts tonight. Their emotive performance is accompanied by an artist painting the moods of the set on canvas, an engrossing, impactful feature. The spirit of the set peaks with a particularly rousing number on an acoustic guitar. This is a band who wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Faithful Johannes and Neocia have been on incredibly fine form for a while now, reaping rewards from their terrific album, The House At Night, which came out last year. The songs are ferociously tight at this juncture, yet still interesting and dense enough to reveal themselves after repeated listens. Tim and Jon play a song from a forthcoming record they are somewhat coy about, that is as beautifully characterful and idiosyncratic as anything in their set. Closer, Plan Your Dreams, typifies what makes their work great – the beauty, profundity and humour in the prosaic.
While Serengeti’s performance is somewhat lethargic tonight (he admits himself he’s been under the weather) this doesn’t detract from the essence of his performance and the beauty of his material. Drawing from his kaleidoscopic albums, Serengeti’s thematic universe is a dense and inviting one, colourful and claustrophobic. Rejoined by Ceiling Demons’ artist, peaks and troughs of energy are visible in his performance, but he summons the energy to present a pretty triumphant final third of the show, with a dogged resilience and commitment to his craft. Which is perhaps more beautiful than something a conventional performance would allow.
