Disposable concert review

Originally published in ‘zine issue #28, 2003

Ruins, I’m Really Happy For You/Guaranteed, Suppression
The Warehouse Next Door, Washington, D.C.
by Editor

With a 7” and CD-R announcing its new lineup and new sound, Suppression is back. A spastic onslaught of blurry, choppy riffs and drums greets those in attendance of this, one of two gigs that Ruins played that day. The bass player/singer threw a handful of fun effects on the vocals and grindy bass, even screaming into his bass guitar’s pickups, walking into the crowd while playing his bass with sweat pouring off him. The drummer laid into his skins, abusing his toms and hi-hat. In-between many of the songs the drummer inexplicably announced, “I suggest to thee a cinderblock.” It’s all good natured, with songs like “Covet Thy Socks and Underwear” and “Midget on Heroin,” but still completely energetic, obnoxious, loud, and boisterous.

I’m Really Happy For You/Guaranteed had a guy in a gas mask picking a bass with a fork, and another guy who was playing a synthesizer and running a slide projector. They both yelled into mics and hopped around and made noise. The synth guy projected shots of the band playing on stage and they both then tried to duplicate each pose they found on the screen. The crowd watched and laughed and clapped. The band was rather funny but not much else.

The Ruins, who were on tour from Japan, took the stage and immediately impressed the audience. They easily showed mastery of their instruments: one person played drums and sang and another played bass guitar and sang also, and they both made the drums and bass their bitches. It was obvious that Ruins were excellent musicians and had passion for their music, which was a mass of song parts thrown at the audience with a mastery of arrangement and subtlety and musicality. The vocals ranged from a kind of singing to low yells to something sounding like birds chirping and off somewhere else again. The bassist’s fingers were dancing on the fretboard and the drummer’s sticks ran all over his drums and cymbals back and forth. After they played their harsh and then soft and then jazzy set, they came back out for an encore after hearing the sustained applause the club gave them. Mostly a fine show and I was glad I went! ■


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