Melt Banana - Classic or Dud?

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"there wasn't much movement at the show last night either"

I've never been to a Knitting Factory show where there has been lots of movement. The Philadelphia crowds are always more fun and exciting. Having said that, Mondays show had the crowd going crazy the whole time. They did 3 encores, and people were still chanting for more.

A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 18:59 (twenty-one years ago) link

classic if only for that superbly wonky-assed intro tape as featured on "cactuses... & pigeons on my eyes (which once again is the stretchheads!(or may as well be)

bob snoom, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 20:23 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Wasn't much movement"? Where were you? I was on the fringes of the PIT. Yes, a mosh pit at the Knitting Factory. That doesn't happen very often.

They were great last night, but better six weeks ago. I told my friend (who'd never seen them before) "they've been on tour for six weeks straight, so they seem a little low-energy." She turned and boggled at me. They did rev up all the way for the encore, though, inc. "My Generation." And I think my friend may be going to see them again in Montclair, NJ tonight.

Douglas, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 20:33 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Wasn't much movement"? Where were you? I was on the fringes of the PIT. Yes, a mosh pit at the Knitting Factory. That doesn't happen very often.

Well, if you're going to go and compare things to the average enthusiasm of a Knitting Factory show, sure, things got intense. Bigger pit than at the Low show, even! But compared to what I was expecting for a MB show...

original bgm, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 21:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

Their ongoing refusal to come through Iowa chafes me utterly.

J0hn Darn13ll3 (J0hn Darn13ll3), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 21:45 (twenty-one years ago) link

Opener MC Tracheotomy should be publicly castrated, also.

original bgm, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 21:46 (twenty-one years ago) link

MC Tracheotomy? is that a different from White Vulture. Maybe that name wasn't on the bill, but If it is the guy who called himself Puff Dada and had a white jumpsuit and did a cover of Ice Ice Baby, I agree.

A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 23:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

Sounds like the same guy, tho I didn't stick around long enough for the Ice Ice Baby cover. And even if he isn't, it's a safe bet that they could both use a public castration!

original bgm, Thursday, 21 November 2002 05:08 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'll second the Live album as being their best; although Charlie has some varied textures and interesting production. One of the best bands I have seen live, but their new drummer (maybe he was just there for this tour?) can't hack it.

Ryan McKay, Thursday, 21 November 2002 05:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

What? You talkin' about grind superstar Dave Witte? Listen to his Discordance Axis album, man! WHOOSH.

original bgm, Thursday, 21 November 2002 05:21 (twenty-one years ago) link

ok that "WHOOSH" was stupid even for me.

original bgm, Thursday, 21 November 2002 05:31 (twenty-one years ago) link

Opener MC Tracheotomy should be publicly castrated, also.

This is URGENT AND KEY.

adam (adam), Thursday, 21 November 2002 06:08 (twenty-one years ago) link

Tracheotomy sucks. If he *had* a tracheotomy and sang through it, *maybe* he'd be bareable, but....

Dave Fischer, Thursday, 21 November 2002 10:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

I have one of the records he did with Human Remains (maybe the only one they put out?), and his contribution is admirable. Still, he simply could not keep up with Melt Banana; nor did he have anything near the time-keeping/dynamic/propulsive abilities of Oshima. His attempts at Charlie-era material were painful to those who saw Oshima in action. Witte was pretty good I suppose, but he didn't have the inhuman capabilities of his predecessors. Even at his most energetic, he made a lot of their songs come across as being sloppy, even sluggish.

Ryan McKay, Friday, 22 November 2002 04:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

He was like a machine when I saw them.

Dave Fischer, Friday, 22 November 2002 04:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

ditto

original bgm, Friday, 22 November 2002 05:14 (twenty-one years ago) link

seven months pass...
Revive for Cell-Scape love! I think it's their best album yet— they continue to dial back the all-out thrash a bit and play things that I'm able to recognize as riffs and melodies. And Agata's guitar sound just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

Nick Mirov (nick), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 17:57 (twenty years ago) link

Their show in Denton on Friday was the bee's knees. God help anyone caught in the middle of that crowd though.

dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 18:11 (twenty years ago) link

I'm not too hot on Cell-Scape, though I haven't listened that much. Some of the electronics are so cheezy, and not in a good way. I love Melt Banana, though now that I'm into more noise rock stuff, I'm not quite as blown away. But I still hero-worship their guitarist.

NA. (Nick A.), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 18:29 (twenty years ago) link

one year passes...
http://www.parkcity.ne.jp/~mltbanan/USA_tour.htm

Uk please also thx

itchy bits (itchy bits), Monday, 28 February 2005 00:18 (nineteen years ago) link

two months pass...
In answer to my question above: there is NOW a singles compilation! "13 Hedgehogs," it's called--the "Hedgehog," "It's In the Pillcase," "$10 a Pile," "Wedge" and "Dead Spex" singles, and their sides of the split EPs with God Is My Co-Pilot, Discordance Axis, Pencilneck, Target Shoppers, Stilluppsteypa, Plainfield, Xerobot and Killout Trash. 56 songs in all.

Saw 'em tonight at Dante's in Portland--as always "RRAGG" was the third song they played--I somehow think that's kind of hilarious. (Maybe it's because they also like looking at the crowd right after it to see who's never seen them before, because they're the people who have expressions on their faces like "did they just do that?") They also pulled out a cover of Devo's "Uncontrollable Urge." If there's a guitarist who uses pedals more expressively these days than Agata, I don't know who it would be. And I am very sure there's not a better English-language lyricist whose native language isn't English than Yasuko Onuki.

Douglas (Douglas), Sunday, 15 May 2005 07:23 (eighteen years ago) link

Cell-scape is awesome!

latebloomer: the rebel sound of grits and bacon (latebloomer), Sunday, 15 May 2005 07:48 (eighteen years ago) link

i saw them on my birthday a year or so ago. best show EVAH.

nathalie's baby (stevie nixed), Sunday, 15 May 2005 08:07 (eighteen years ago) link

Tom you should have read some of their website back in 1996 or whatever. I've never knowingly actually heard them but it was some of the best shit I'd ever read. It made me want to hear them so bad. I may have been unconsciously avoiding them ever since because I was afraid to ruin what their promo material had provoked in my imagination.

Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 15 May 2005 08:11 (eighteen years ago) link

The short songs are amazing live.

shieldforyoureyes, Sunday, 15 May 2005 15:19 (eighteen years ago) link

The Agata solo album is fun!
Cell-scape is phenomenal! Even converted some of the hatas I know. The intro/outro tracks are a fairly limp stab at the noise thing, tho.

original bgm, Sunday, 15 May 2005 15:33 (eighteen years ago) link

Never heard the solo album... what's it like?

original bgm, Sunday, 15 May 2005 15:33 (eighteen years ago) link

CLASSIC

I only own Cell-Scape so far & fear I may never see them live :-(

I concur, that solo record is worth picking up. Fun and even pretty in parts. Also reminds you just how unfathomably great & out-there his riffage in the group set-up is.

xpost - I like that outro... more ambience than noise tho?

fandango (fandango), Sunday, 15 May 2005 15:39 (eighteen years ago) link

teeny shiny is pretty rad too.

latebloomer: the rebel sound of grits and bacon (latebloomer), Sunday, 15 May 2005 15:45 (eighteen years ago) link

xpost - I like that outro... more ambience than noise tho?

True... but it's a fine line, I suppose.

Teeny Shiny is like Cell-Scape v0.7. Pretty solid, but still not quite the amicable merge of pop and grindcore it should be.

original bgm, Sunday, 15 May 2005 15:52 (eighteen years ago) link

I love Teeny Shiny's techno leanings. Also, Free The Bee and Moon Flavor
are their most pop songs.

shieldforyoureyes, Sunday, 15 May 2005 23:06 (eighteen years ago) link

four months pass...
uk tour dates in unreadable format (from http://myspace.com/azap):

Nov 6 2005 8:00P
Pavillion Theatre Brighton UK,
Nov 8 2005 8:00P
Fleece and Firkin Bristol United Kindom,
Nov 9 2005 8:00P
Medicine Bar, Custard Factory Birmingham United Kingdom,
Nov 10 2005 8:00P
Garage London United Kingdom,
Nov 11 2005 8:00P
AC2 Manchester, United Kingdom,
Nov 12 2005 8:00P
Oran Mor Glasgow United Kingdom,
Nov 13 2005 8:00P
The Georglan Theatre Teeside/New Castle United Kingdom,
Nov 14 2005 8:00P
Nottingham Trent Uni. Nottingham United Kingdom,
Nov 15 2005 8:00P
Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff United Kingdom,
Nov 17 2005 8:00P
BBC session London United Kingdom,
Nov 18 2005 8:00P
tba Leeds United Kingdom,
Nov 19 2005 8:00P
The Adelphi Hull United Kingdom,
Nov 20 2005 8:00P
Garage London United Kingdom,
Nov 21 2005 8:00P
tba Southhampton United Kingdom,

bought my ticket for 10th november yesterday. phear me.

koogs (koogs), Saturday, 8 October 2005 10:26 (eighteen years ago) link

I've tried to get my ticket but can't buy it yet. I am PSYCHED.

fandango (fandango), Saturday, 8 October 2005 10:30 (eighteen years ago) link

are they still playing with the drummer from discordance axis?

marcg (marcg), Saturday, 8 October 2005 10:45 (eighteen years ago) link

Koogs SHOWED ME his ticket.

It is banana yellow.

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Saturday, 8 October 2005 11:35 (eighteen years ago) link

HOLY FUCK MELT BANANA AT THE ADELPHI CAN'T BREATHE EARS POPPING MUST FIND TRANQUILISERS

Don King of the Mountain (noodle vague), Saturday, 8 October 2005 14:03 (eighteen years ago) link

I would assume they're using one of their japanese drummers this tour,
as Witte will be on tour with Municipal Waste at roughly the same time.

shieldforyoureyes, Saturday, 8 October 2005 21:01 (eighteen years ago) link

one month passes...
drummer was japanese and very good. as were whole band, not a single hiccup (or, indeed, a pause) in the entire set. i'm not sure i have the words to describe the sound they made.

(support slot last night was DJ Scotch Egg doing his usual GameBoy Gabba thing. divided the audience somewhat but i loved it)

koogs (koogs), Friday, 11 November 2005 09:25 (eighteen years ago) link

Are your ears ringing?

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 11 November 2005 09:32 (eighteen years ago) link

come back to texas melt banana! i love my tooth watches t-shirt.

fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 11 November 2005 09:47 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes, my ears are ringing. And I had scotch egg crumbs in my hair. Great stuff.

MESTEMA (davidcorp), Friday, 11 November 2005 10:31 (eighteen years ago) link

That was the greatest thing I ever seen in my life.

My ears ringy. It's all good. I don't need to hear ever again.

THIS IS THE SOUND OF ALTERN 8 !!! (noodle vague), Saturday, 19 November 2005 23:39 (eighteen years ago) link

Fucking amazing, btw.

fandango (fandango), Thursday, 24 November 2005 00:00 (eighteen years ago) link

I take it you saw them live?

I think they're a little disappointing on album, but the live show is amazing.

Mickey (modestmickey), Thursday, 24 November 2005 02:30 (eighteen years ago) link

Especially when they play the song "His Name is Mickey" and I pretend it's about me.

Mickey (modestmickey), Thursday, 24 November 2005 02:31 (eighteen years ago) link

I saw them on Sunday with Bullet Union & I'm Being Good. My ears were ringing all day Monday as well. They seem to be back to normal now though!

They covered Uncontrollable Urge & Neat Neat Neat, which was fun. So glad I went (I had to go on my own, as I suffer from a distinct lack of noisecore loving friends).

Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Thursday, 24 November 2005 09:53 (eighteen years ago) link

they played Surfin USA as an encore at the first london gig plus another one in the middle that i didn't recognise. (i barely recognised Surfin USA apart from those two words)

the BBC session mentioned above will be broadcast by Rob Da Bank, i think this thursday evening. (ie tonight)

koogs (koogs), Thursday, 24 November 2005 10:07 (eighteen years ago) link

Classic.

nancyboy (nancyboy), Thursday, 24 November 2005 10:39 (eighteen years ago) link

Woah - I love their Neat Neat Neat cover, never heard it live. (It's the
hidden track on the Charlie CD.)
My fave MxBx cover is still My Generation.

shieldforyoureyes, Thursday, 24 November 2005 18:10 (eighteen years ago) link

I can confirm that they are brainblastingly good in 2K13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66nVdjVHs48&hd=1

a hard dom is good to find (Edward III), Sunday, 3 November 2013 09:23 (ten years ago) link

Nice clip! I'm excited to see them for the first time this week.

EZ Snappin, Sunday, 3 November 2013 13:04 (ten years ago) link

that was like the 3rd and 4th song of the set, things got crazier from there. kind of impressed with a vocalist and guitarist keeping up that kind of energy level over an entire set with just backing tracks.

a hard dom is good to find (Edward III), Sunday, 3 November 2013 16:49 (ten years ago) link

My first show is tonight. Got roped into working the door but it still should be amazing. And now free!

EZ Snappin, Friday, 8 November 2013 23:55 (ten years ago) link

two months pass...

Just bought the new album and it sounds great but I probably missed a tour? Did they come to glasgow last year?

Robert Adam Gilmour, Tuesday, 28 January 2014 14:05 (ten years ago) link

don't think they've played in the uk in the last 3 or 4 years or so

they are playing london in may though.

koogs, Tuesday, 28 January 2014 14:39 (ten years ago) link

can't remember if i missed them last time or not - haven't heard the duo stuff, don't know if i fancy seeing them in that format

rock nobster (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 28 January 2014 14:40 (ten years ago) link

They're touring over there soon.

EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 28 January 2014 14:46 (ten years ago) link

london date, 28th may 2014: https://babayaga.ticketabc.com/events/baba-yagas-hut-pr-20/

koogs, Tuesday, 28 January 2014 15:00 (ten years ago) link

Played Supersonic in 2012, I think? Set of two halves, first set was in the style which has ended up being 'new' Melt-Banana, and second set was the full band 'old' Melt-Banana.

Ian Glasper's trapped in a scone (aldo), Wednesday, 29 January 2014 10:57 (ten years ago) link

Forget that, must have been an earlier year than that because they played in the pool.

Ian Glasper's trapped in a scone (aldo), Wednesday, 29 January 2014 10:59 (ten years ago) link

2014
20/05 Colchester Arts Centre
21/05 Leeds Brudenell Social Club
22/05 Glasgow Mono
23/05 Newcastle Cluny 2
24/05 Manchester Fat Out Festival
25/05 Birmingham Rainbow Warehouse
27/05 Sheffield Queens Social Club
28/05 London Heaven
29/05 Norwich Arts Centre
30/05 Bristol Fleece
31/05 Cambridge Portland Arms
01/06 Southampton Joiners
02/06 Brighton Green Door Store

koogs, Saturday, 1 February 2014 12:59 (ten years ago) link

(from facebook)

koogs, Saturday, 1 February 2014 12:59 (ten years ago) link

one month passes...

Finished listening to the album. It might be the best one I've heard yet (still need 3 or 4 of the early albums) but definitely the most consistent I've heard, quite a bit heavier I'd say. Really brilliant.

Bought a ticket to their upcoming show. It will be my second time.

Does anyone sit and read the lyrics? Really difficult to follow.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 8 March 2014 22:04 (ten years ago) link

one year passes...

"Candy Gun" showed up in my Spotify discover playlist, thank you for introducing me, Spotify.

:wq (Leee), Monday, 3 August 2015 22:07 (eight years ago) link

that may be my least favorite song on fetch but it's still great!

Michael F Gill, Tuesday, 4 August 2015 01:26 (eight years ago) link

one year passes...

Woot!

Saw melt Banana at the garage with DJ scotch egg. Always meant to catch then again. That was 2005 but tonight is the night.

They are doing their own merch. They scare me, slightly.

koogs, Thursday, 15 June 2017 19:31 (six years ago) link

are they still playing as a duo?

sleeve, Thursday, 15 June 2017 21:49 (six years ago) link

xp I also saw Melt-Banana at the Garage in 2005 but it was the other night with Narcosis/I'm Being Good/Bullet Union. I saw them a few years ago as a duo around the time Fetch came out. Think that was the 3rd time I saw them? Was thinking of going to see them in Brighton on this tour but timing wasn't good.

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 15 June 2017 22:08 (six years ago) link

it's so hot my banana definitely feels like it's melting today

i n f i n i t y (∞), Thursday, 15 June 2017 22:09 (six years ago) link

xp to self in fact this is documented upthread back in 2005

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 15 June 2017 22:11 (six years ago) link

just the two of them, yes. agata with the facemask and guitar and yasuko doing everything else via midi(?) and that controller thing she uses (one-handed) that looks like a playstation portable.

they were loud and bright and pixel perfect again last night but something didn't click for me and i was paying less attention to what they were doing than to how they were doing it. and the obvious hard work they've put in and all the practice (neither put a beat wrong) just detracted somehow. the 300 other people there seemed to be really into it though.

they were on the merch desk until the support band finished and then spent the interval sorting out their own gear. a minute after they finished agata was back on the desk and yasuko was breaking her stuff down. made me wonder whether the entire tour was just the two of them doing everything on their own (and how lonely that would be).

koogs, Friday, 16 June 2017 09:08 (six years ago) link

(it's a Numark Orbit - https://www.facebook.com/NumarkOrbit/posts/638933552825050 )

koogs, Friday, 16 June 2017 09:11 (six years ago) link


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