The last time I saw KALEV I was at the Tin Pan Alley Festival (July 2006) so I was intrigued to see how they have developed since then.
This gig was one of a series of shows to coincide with the release of their double A-side single (Slight Death of You/Glass Crowd) released earlier in the month.
The venue was very dark inside, which suited the “loud black electro punk” music that Kalev welcomed us with.
From the moment they took to the stage, Kalev were in control, producing heaving, driving music that has a modern indie feel and fills the room. By the second song the drummer had his shirt off, which was great for the ladies (i.e. me).
Kalev’s musical influences are a veritable potpourri of sounds, and you could hear some of these in their music. The most obvious comparison is to Joy Division, with Andrew Nicholls’ vocals having a slight twinge of the Ian Curtis’. Think the dark cousin of The Bravery or The Automatic mixed in with a bit of Nine Inch Nails and the latter years of Depeche Mode and you have the fragrent mush that is Kalev.
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Saying that though, it’s hard to pin down Kalev’s sound exactly, and it would be unfair to do so anyhow as the band has the makings of an almost unique noise. Now they just need to find the management to help them prove it.
Despite paying attention, I didn’t hear either of the new single tracks played, which was a shame as “Slight Death of You” would be a corker to hear played live.
The gig ended rather abruptly (how punk) due to “technical difficulties”, which basically meant the drummer had stopped playing. With good reason too, the drum kit had a life of its own and them lugs just didn’t want to hold the drums in the right place. Still, a bit of a limp ending didn’t mar an otherwise powerful performance overall.
http://www.myspace.com/kalevband
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