Super Furry Animals @ Maxwell's: They Don't Give a Holy Fuck About Anybody Else

It's been 9 years since the Welsh rock veterans Super Furry Animals have graced the Maxwell's stage. As Gruff Rhys recalls, he puked during the gig -- the only time he's done so. Nobody threw up tonight, unfortunately, but that doesn't mean the gig had it's share of strange moments. Maybe I'm not a hardcore or well-versed SFA fan, but I'm guessing the large helmet is part of the band's repertoire. it's like a cross between a Power Ranger and StrongBad

Having a spattering of Super Furry Animal albums in my collection, I figured I should check the crew out at least once. In whole, it was enjoyable with a lot good, recognizable cuts in the set. Some of the more mellow songs left my mind wondering, but what can you do. As long as they played my favorite track, "The Man Don't Give a Fuck," I would call the gig a success ... and they did.

The setlist:

• The Gateway Song
• Run-Away
• Golden Retriever
• Ice Hockey Hair
• Into the Night
• Battersea Odyssey
• Down A Different River
• Carbon Dating
• Zoom!
• The Gift That Keeps Giving
• Juxtaposed With You
• Receptacle For The Respectable
• Slow Life
• Rings Around the World
• Baby Ate My Eightball
• Hello Sunshine
• The Man Don't Give A Fuck
• Cosmic Trigger

In the history of 90s British music, I guess Super Furry Animals got lost in the shuffle, probably more for geography reasons more than anything. They have this ramshackle, folk meets psychedelic meets modern pop sounds that's hard to place. In the middle you have the laidback stylings of Gruff. I looked at him during the show and I'm thinking to myself, "This guy is like the Welsh version of the Dude." Instead of a robe, he's got a suede, embroidered suit.

The gig was great in that anytime you can see a popular band do a small venue show, you should do so. That's where the hardcore fans come out to play. As I figured, there was a large Welsh/British contingent in the crowd. Mostly, they were screaming, "Ohio!"

I enjoyed that the fact the band is a little bit strange, in that stoner sort of way, but not overtly. Gruff, looking like Michael Nesmith circa 1966, is a little bit daffy, and it translates to the music. Meanwhile, guitarist Huw Bunford looks like Kris Kristofferson circa 1974.

So it was a decent to good show, if I was a little more familiar with their big catalog, I probably would have liked it more.

This is my third time around with math rockers Holy Fuck. They should think about getting a sponsorship with Radio Shack, because their stage show looks like the store's clearance section. They have all these cheap, retrofitted keyboards so that they can get the beats and grooves out. The four-piece is growing on me -- might that electro-funk, prog rock mixture they got going on.

Comments

[nghia]

sponsorship from Radio Shack. thats funny

[kentuckychrome]

"OHIO"="Ohio Heat" from their previous album.

[kentuckychrome]

"OHIO"="Ohio Heat" from their previous album.

[andrew]

I saw Holy Fuck for the first time at Glasto last year and they were brilliant. I'm a big fan.

[Freepster]

Ohio Heat, sweeter than sugar beets!!!!