Beak>

Understated and unassuming, Beak> sauntered onto the stage one-by-one, guitarist Matt Williams playing part of the theme from Steptoe & Son as he tuned up. The stage was lit starkly by two searchlights. It’s clear from the start that this group are all about the music, not image – and they didn’t fail to deliver.

More and more groups seem to have been proclaiming their Krautrock influences over the past few years, but Beak> draw far deeper than most from The Can, not just in their crisp, clean sound, vintage synths and exhilaratingly-tight rhythms, but in balancing their experimental tendencies with un-self-indulgent restraint.

From minimally structured motorik tunes to much slower, heavier songs, their sound was varied but consistently thrilling. One track came across like Link Ray’s Rumble beamed directly from hell, while another featured a discordant organ riff that recalled Portishead’s gloomy atmospherics. Another song lurched along with a grinding bass-line from Billy Fuller and ominously slow drum thumps. The group threw in light as well, though, with another bass-driven track bringing cheers of recognition from fans.

Beak> took turns on vocals, which were obscure and awash with echo-effects, creating a sense of distant, half-finished thoughts that added to the hypnotic effect. Make no mistake, though, there was nothing sleepy about the gig. Geoff Barrow (drums/synths) is well known for being a founder member of Portishead - and if you enjoyed The Tear, their new single for Amnesty International, this group are well worth a listen. Beak> may not make chirpy music, but they definitely kept the crowd’s pecker up (boom-boom)!