When Black Midi first emerged, not many of us would have had them pegged as influencers. And yet here we are, a few years later, in the presence of their offspring, trying to get a grip on a band whose modus operandi appears to be to explode in all directions at once, only pausing briefly to drop a recitation of Teddy Bears’ Picnic into the mix.
Alien Chicks are aptly named, given that they only fleetingly come into close proximity with earthly reality. On their planet, postpunk meets jazz fusion to spawn a non-sequitur rock that zigzags with wild abandon, a poke in the eye for the dullards who dominate the mainstream. I’m left with a slight headache, but comprehensibility be damned. Linearity is for squares.
By comparison, headliners Pom Poko have a degree of respect and reverence for conventional song structures – but then everything’s relative. The Norwegians still sound like Deerhoof at a soft play centre, unexpectedly slowing down and speeding up like an octogenarian driver, gleefully subjecting indie-rock to electroconvulsive therapy. You’ve heard of Scandi noir – this is Scandi technicolour.
Front and centre is Ragnhild Fangel: all sweetness and light, and a smile so infectious it would penetrate a hazmat suit, declaring “Thank you for coming – we’ll do our very best”. Backing her are guitarist Martin Tonne, bassist Jonas Krovel and drummer Ola Djupvik, who is battling flu as well as his kit – not that you’d know it.
As was the case last time around, in 2022, Pom Poko have chosen Cardiff to kick off a UK tour in support of a new album. Then, it was Cheater; now, it’s Champion, whose opening song Growing Story eases us into the evening and whose title track hints at a potential mellowing out.
Not just yet, though. My Candidacy, Follow The Lights, Time and Dreamer are as frenetic as ever, while Crazy Energy Night, surprisingly shunted into mid-set, remains the emphatic answer to the customary demand “MORE COWBELL”. Audience participation is requested and enthusiastically supplied for Danger Baby, and Fangel cites International Women’s Day in introducing Like A Lady. And more bands should have songs about arriving at their tour digs near Peppa Pig World to discover the road blocked by a sleeping man, who, on being awakened, turns out to be very drunk, extremely rude and their Airbnb host.
If I’m left with a feeling of mild disappointment, it’s only because traditional closer If U Want Me 2 Stay falls casualty to the Friday evening club night curfew. Consider it the equivalent of a grumpy toddler who, at the end of a birthday party, is left overtired and overstimulated but has, with hindsight, had an absolute blast.
Pom Poko + Alien Chicks, Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Fri 7 Mar
words BEN WOOLHEAD photos JUSTIN BELLUCI / BEN WOOLHEAD
