And So I Watch You From Afar

Twisted Firestarters

Tonight The City Burns
Spring And Airbrake, Belfast

“Eight musicians, two artists, one producer, no labels, no arseholes, one hundred percent Irish talent”. It’s a swaggering statement for North Coast post-rockers …And So I Watch You From Afar to live up to. Their massive, one-off collaborative show Tonight The City Burns had been several months in the making, and aimed to bring some of the Northern Irish scene’s brightest young things together live, in a mash-up of cosmic proportions. The focal point was a special, strictly limited-edition EP produced by the band specially for the occasion, which saw the fêted instrumental four-piece team up with vocalists for the first time.

The night begins with a one man guitar-and-pedal fiesta in the shape of Geoff Topley, aka Cruz, greeting early arrivals with warm chords and crunching electro beats. It’s a great soundtrack to settling down with a pint and just 20 minutes into his set, the spacious Spring begins to fill. Imposing indie stalwarts Driving by Night follow, pulling off the interesting trick of sounding every bit like The Killers and every bit their own band. Just after ten o’clock, the first crazy lone dancer of the evening makes an appearance, thrashing away in solitary glee at the stage-front, as artsy punk protagonists La Faro get stuck in. With spiky guitars, a punchy sound, and sporting Belfast’s sultriest bassist in Anna Fitzsimmons, La Faro are a much heavier and more compact band than the previous acts. “Are you ready for So I Watch You…?” asks Anna. A whistling cheer goes up. People are more than ready.

ASIWYFA arrive amid peals of expectant applause, and gear up with a few minutes of breezy melody before hurtling into a jagged number from their specially-concocted EP with the kind of energy which makes them look like they may lift off stage and career through the air at any minute. From the outset, it is clear this is a change of pace for the band whose closest musical kin are Explosions In The Sky and Mogwai.

Their sound is choppier, harder-edged and more rhythmically erratic than before, with tracks like ‘These Riots Are Just The Beginning’ and title tune ‘Tonight The City Burns’ recalling At The Drive-In, and sounding every bit as incendiary as their names suggest. Rarely do bands maintain such good coordination and crisp timing while stamping and shaking their instruments with such merciless vim. But among the biting riffs and barked lyrics from new on-stage companions are moments of modulated calm, giving way to softer, dreamier numbers like ‘La Plata Es El Asesino’, with Cruz contributing vocals.

ASIWYFA have built their reputation on consummate instrumental musicianship: mountainous melodies, textured noise, and beautifully twining guitars. Although it is a commendable experiment to open up their music to input from other local groups, they really do sound most at home when being themselves, on hypnotic tracks like ‘Mt Kilash’ and the dementedly enjoyable barnstormer ‘And The Voiceless’.

Despite obvious stress and technical problems, ASIWYFA wring every drop of energy from the performance and plainly have fun doing so. At one point, diminutive guitarist Tony stops headbanging to plant a kiss on the forehead of LaFaro vocalist Johnny Black. Awww.

ASIWYFA’s stated objective had been to get some of NI’s best-loved bands together on stage, to “make sure everybody leaves knowing there is a scene here to be proud of”. As the 300-strong crowd were mushed out into the chilly night by doorstaff, ASIWFA could say with cool assurance: “Mission fucking accomplished”.

Words_Adam Kula

Exclusive Content: Click here for the ‘Tonight The City Burns’ podcast, featuring an exclusive track from the EP.

Issue #51 - I Told You This Would Be A Good Issue

Featuring Biffy Clyro, Of Montreal, Duke Special, Frightened Rabbit, Cold War Kids, Jay Reatard, Pat Mills, and more.