Music / live review
Review: Meanwhile In Bat Country, The Lanes
Whilst I’ve never been to a gig at The Lanes before, I’ve heard great things about their soundsystem. I can vouch for this, however there weren’t any stray bowling balls making their way through the raucous crowd.
Branding themselves as psychedelic rock, the mighty 6-piece prove that they’re much more than the average pastiche of wannabe psych rock bands. Instead of trying to reclaim the sounds that embody the hazy late ‘60s, Meanwhile In Bat Country contort it and make it their own by weaving different influences which adds dynamism and texture to their set. I was slightly weary as 50% of the band consisted of guitar players, I wasn’t entirely sure how and why this was necessary. As their set progressed I could see why they needed the numbers, heavy rhythm guitars clattering alongside metallic riffs whilst the other guitar embellished with pizzazz courtesy of a pedal board.
Although this was their first ever gig they showed no signs of nerves, they were confident and held a presence. The rowdy crowd even asked for an encore at the end – not bad for a first gig. Opening with a twangy western style riff, frontman Paul Hodgson was wearing a cowboy hat which sold the illusion to me even more. Bassist Beau Hulse held a tight groove which rooted the song which was elevated by the organ-like synth sounds. It was brooding and had subtle nods to the blues and americana, constantly exploring new avenues which sparked my interest. To introduce a few songs they used pre-recorded interviews and snippets of what sounded like radio transmissions – think Archives Of Pain by Manic Street Preachers. These transmissions would fade out as the thrashing drums began, it was a useful tool which was immersive and articulated well considering their style of music.
is needed now More than ever
Their only released as it stands is A Universe Is Near, the hook is incredibly catchy and reminiscent of a football chant. I can definitely see crowds chanting this back to the band in the future. The bass on this song was incredibly groovy, complimenting the off-kilter drums. When used, the three part harmonies were exquisite and oozed that ‘70s-prog-ELO-feel, my only qualm is that I wanted more of this!
Whilst I could see that having 3 guitarists was a little problematic, each one was adding their own unique flairs to fill the space. During their short set they managed to win the crowd over with several bodies moving along and several bowling stragglers made their way over to take a peek at times.
As more gigs come their way I expect Meanwhile In Bat Country to have a strong following and their psych rock tunes will only flourish.
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