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Live Review
by SashaS
4-2-2004
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| Ill Ease exorcises underwordly layer |
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Live: Ill Ease
Barfly, London
Monday, February 2, 2004
Ill Ease intensify ‘The Exorcist’ live
A man with a digi-camera takes a snap from the stage; the other one is consuming bottled water with his guitar unhooked and the drummer, well - she simply waits for the other two to sort themselves out. This is Ill Ease before starting to fire their tunes from the new album that‘s been in the shops for a whole day.
‘The Exorcist’ is a collection of songs by one-woman-band, Elizabeth Sharp. She usually takes care of all the instrumentation in the studio, with a very rare guest in the form of guitarist David Barbe on a couple of numbers. Still, players are needed live or it would be - backing tapes.
This is not music that could work with parts supplied by machinery because it is - raw, dirty, vital, punky and grungy. The trio starts the show at a warm-up like pace with Ms Sharp playing very basic patterns to make one think of Meg White, or Ringo Starr. But, very soon afterwards, the tempo changes and intensity shifts to more complex, layered, often off-beat rhythmic intricacies that were augmented by a mightily pounding bass lines.
Liz Sharp is also known as a photographer - she’s even had an exhibition at New York City’s Museum Of Modern Art and her images adore the cover of her album - but, to call these songs snaps would be unfair because they are mainly like mini-movies. Soundtracks for one’s third-eye projections - what genre’s yours?
There are no restrictions on this musical expression - Liz left her drumming post with New Radiant Storm in the 1990s due to the format that required plenty of compromising. Ill Ease deals in paranoia-blues that is altered daily and recorded versions are differently formed but it is more straightforward, rocky, immediate in live situation. ‘Jersey O Moatic’, ‘Malfunction Junction’, ‘Boss Mayor’ even contain moments when ones booty can’t remain still.
Despite Sharp’s other job, this band is lo-image’d, they are more down-dressed than majority of the audience but that is also a statement about the West’s obsession with trivial, superficial and materialistic. And yet, who cares about divisions when the sounds get more colossal as we near the frenzied end with songs of the ‘You Look Like Hell’ and ‘You Know You Make Me Wanna Hate You’ sentiments.
Ill Ease were only the opening act to The Fall’s visit but after such a display of coolitude, smitten with admiration, we just couldn’t face anything more but the drizzle outside. Ill Ease, is the first part of the name from the word - brilliant?
By the way, Ill Ease’s album ‘The Exorcist’ warrants an 8+/10 mark.
SashaS
4-2-2004
Ill Ease album ‘The Exorcist’ is released 02 February 2004 by Too Pure
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