LIVE FROM THE PIT: LLNN, Pupil Slicer and Worn Out

Nottingham's Bodega hosted a deeply uncompromising bill last week as WORN OUT, PUPIL SLICER and LLNN delivered a night that explored multiple corners of contemporary heavy music. Across the evening, each band brought a distinct approach to intensity. 

WORN OUT began the evening's performance. The group's sound is immediately abrasive and hard, with an undeniable punk attitude and urgency. No effort was made toward polishing the group's performance. Rather, there was a clear focus toward generating momentum and delivering a strong impact. Although they were in the first position in terms of the evening's schedule, they generated quick movement among the audience and sharpened the atmosphere within the room. The set was very brief, yet successful in preparing the audience for what would follow.

Next up was PUPIL SLICER. An immediate and significant difference in the energy within the room was evident upon their arrival. Their performance moved with an unyielding sense of purpose from the start. Highly jagged, irregular guitar lines tore throughout the room. The tight, locked drumming provided enough space for chaos to occur without ever devolving into complete disarray. What added to the complexity of watching the performance was the balance between volatility and control.

Frontwoman KATE DAVIES-COOK dominated the space she occupied with a commanding presence. At times her vocals screamed and cut through the air, at others she delivered emotionally raw, vulnerable moments. This range of emotions expanded well beyond the pure aggression of the performance. Unlike some other performances, the band avoided engaging with the crowd, instead allowing the music to speak for itself. A constant forward motion existed within the performance, and each track flowed into the next in a manner that made time appear to compress.

The material from Blossom seemed to land particularly heavy in the room, generating the largest amount of physical reaction from the audience. Given the intimate size of the room, each shift in tempo and each sudden dynamic change felt instantaneously and startlingly apparent. The front row continued to move as if they were unable to remain stationary, while those farther back watched with an intense, still silence, completely immersed in the technical precision occurring on stage.

Most notable, however, was the intent evident in every action taken during the performance. None of the actions felt like an afterthought. Regardless of how chaotic the performance may have appeared at times, the performance retained a sharp composition due to the self-assured confidence visible in every transition and breakdown. PUPIL SLICER did not require spectacle to captivate their audience; solely the intensity of their performance was sufficient to draw in the crowd.

As LLNN arrived to take the stage, the energy of the room once again underwent a transformation. Where PUPIL SLICER thrived on speed and chaos, LLNN succeeded via the use of weight and restraint. The performance of LLNN was dense and engulfing in nature, comprised of slow, crushing rhythms and a low end that felt as though it physically weighed down the confines of Bodega's small performance space. The energy of the crowd changed significantly; less outward movement occurred as the crowd became much quieter, with eyes intently focused on the stage.

Their performance felt oppressive and deliberate in terms of structure, building an enormous amount of lingering tension throughout the room as the evening came to a close. The performance represented a stark contrast to the previous chaotic display of intensity, and effectively served as the closing act to an evening that explored multiple aspects of extreme music.

Words and photos: Lizzie Jones