Super Furry Animals with Abe Vigoda, Holy Fuck @ Echoplex 2/8/08

Unfortunately I missed most of Abe Vigoda's set at the Echoplex last night. I did however catch a couple songs, and I was really into it! They sounded better than ever!!! I'm so glad to see these guys doing so good. They're really nice and down to earth, and have been playing local shows forever at everywhere from the Comic Bug in Manhattan Beach to The Smell for quite some time now. Be sure to check them out at this year's SXSW! and at The Smell on March 25th.

Abe Vigoda:


"HOLY FUCK!" people started screamed from the audience. "HOLY FUCK!" "HOLY FUCK, it's hot in here!" I yelled before the band went on. I felt like I was at fucking Coachella, although there was no occasional breeze.

Toronto electronic group Holy Fuck, which has been heralded for performing live shows without the use of computers or pre-recorded backing tracks were up next. These guys fucked everyone in the face with their loud and nonstop electronic blasts of melodic noisy beats.

With two tables full of all miscellaneous guitar pedals, effects, and electronic gadgets looped to various cheap keyboards (which they switched rapidly through the night), they look like mad scientists who have been staying up all night in their labs, drinking lots of coffee and tweaking everything within arms reach and shuffling and experimenting with things.

They played songs such as The Pulse, Royal Gregory (my favorite), Frenchy's, Super Inuit, and Lovely Allen.

Holy Fuck:

I was fortunate enough to catch Welsh band Super Furry Animals at a venue like the Echoplex where I was able to get right up front. This band sounded big enough to play the fucking Dodger Stadium. They opened with psychedelic electronic experimentation of Slow Life where after a couple minutes of buildup, frontman Gruff Rhys walked out on stage with an oversized full face red Power Ranger helmet on his head. This was such a funny and memorable moment in live music history, similar to when Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips walked in the giant bubble at Coachella 2004.

Throughout the night, they played a handful of hits such as Rings Around the World, Golden Retriever, Receptable for the Respectable, Into the Night, Juxtapozed With U, The Gift That Keeps Giving, Run-Away, etc. One thing I really noticed was how the singer made lots of eye contact with the audience and seemed very friendly and super happy to be playing for all of us.

My favorite moments of the night was during the heavy guitar explosion at the end of Receptable when Gruff Rhys, Gibson Goldtop guitarist Huw Bunford, and other unidentified guitarist all ran to center stage where they clashed guitar necks like Star Wars characters clanging light sabers. Too bad I failed to capture this moment on film; I was too far away getting water since it was so fucking hot at the Echoplex. Anyway, this was so fucking cool, and it reminded me of when Sonic Youth did the same thing at the Greek Theatre in 2007 when they played Daydream Nation in it's entirety.

SFA sounded amazing live and it was a show I won't soon forget. I can't fucking wait until they play again. Hopefully next time it's at the Greek where it's not all hot and cramped.

Super Furry Animals: