LIVE FROM THE PIT: Plini and Sungazer

One of the most renowned progressive rock instrumentalists, PLINI rose up high from Down Under, taking his third studio album An Unnameable Desire on tour right after its recent release last month. An almost entirely silent show, it still possesses the force to leave the visitors speechless, crushing them with the immense sound of electric guitars and layered melodies that create a mesmerising effect. Even when there is little movement across the room, this night is turned into much more of an internal experience for everyone involved.

The jazz fusion SUNGAZER are the absolute perfect fit as a support for the tour, starting to create the exact atmosphere that will linger in the room for the whole evening. That is, magnetic riffs that cast a spell on the audience and let them disappear and lose themselves in the melody. At the same time, it is also full of velocity, where drumbeats rise in tempo, the bass begins to jump and pulsate, and there comes the star of the set – the saxophone. The instrument definitely becomes the pride and joy of the band, as the brass player stays dead centre to divert all the focus on his solos.

“We’re a band with odd time signatures” - SUNGAZER finally introduce themselves, as they round off the fantastic Against the Fall of Night. Indeed, throughout their set and within each song, the melodic flow and mood fluctuates so much that the audience never knows where one ends and the other begins, and what awaits them around the corner. As they move onto Sequence Start and Cool 7, the band invites everyone to get involved in a two-step - but not the kind we always see. It is two to the left, and two to the right, which is perhaps the most moving around some of us are willing to do; still, SUNGAZER manages to engage the crowd so much with their infectious laughs that all of us cannot help but put on a little smile too. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRPX8kI06v8

PLINI might come off slightly more serious and reserved in comparison, starting the set on a mellow note that soon crescendoes into something grandiose that is An Unnameable Desire. The band continues with Cascade and the wonderful Ciel, taking over fifteen minutes in total before they finally break the fourth wall and utter a word. PLINI turns out to be a delight, dropping the facade and immediately getting to the jokes “Can you please scream for me? I actually don’t do it for the music, I do it for the large audience and the screaming” - the crowd obeys.

Tonight feels almost like a celebration of progressive rock and metal in its essence and its glory. PLINI does not forget his older material, performing Impulse Voices and I’ll Tell You Someday to the crowd’s delight. The strobe lights beam into our eyes with force, and the bright melodies traverse us into a sort of paradise land. However, in a split second, PLINI puts a stop to the frolicking and turns the room upside down with the devilish Manala. The band truly are all kings of their craft, as the extreme fast drums and distorted pull of the strings rush in, overriding any other thoughts or emotions instantly.

Going strong, PLINI also revisits some of his earliest work in the shape of Selenium Forest, a slow jam followed by an immense, monstrous drum solo. The Friday night wraps up with The Time Will Pass Anyway, and of course, Electric Sunrise for dessert. Undoubtedly, London’s Electric Ballroom lives up to its name once again, as PLINI finish the performance on a high, the crowd still buzzing as they did throughout the whole set. This spell and enchantment might soon wear off, but all the excitement and thrill that this night has brought is certainly there to remain.

Words and photos: Mariia Bulkina