On The Scene: School 17-08-2013

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There was no way I was gonna miss Ben Ben’s birthday shindig last Saturday at School – after bailing on their performance the week before, it only felt appropriate that I return again, with camera in hand. And as if the gods have answered my prayers, Skip Skip Ben Ben did manage to crank out (the very last time they told us) ‘These Shows Were Made For Walking’ and wouldn’t you know it, this guy happened to be there. Screw blowing out candles – this is how you celebrate a birthday.

Staying young is for sissies. Check below for more from the heady DICE and the ever loosey-goosey Bedstars. You know you wanna.

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It’s been some time since I last caught DICE, the psychedelic jammers who might as well be playing over hazy stock footage of the Vietnam War. There’s something retro about their sound that’s absolutely alluring.

And while I do admit they crept down the rabbit hole a bit far at some points, causing the neurons in my brain to swell, when they want to, they can manage keep a seven minute song beat steady and groovable.

I didn’t even mention when after that little jam, at theeight minute mark, Ben Ben and Dou Dou break into “My Lonely Friend” – just about the cutest thing ever.

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When I saw Skip Skip Ben Ben at Mao Livehouse this past May, I acknowledged how they were playing with the format a bit – changing the pace of some of their songs; jamming out more. While I did throughly enjoy it, I did worry that perhaps they’d lost a bit of their punch. While I’m happy to say they\’re back in full fucking force. Ramming speed!

They’re louder than ever and I’m loving every second of it. It was clear tonight they were having a blast and their loose no holds barrel performance spread like wildfire to the audience. It’s good to have them back and punching it up,

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Last but not least, were those grimy rock em’ sock em’ slackers Bedstars, who are all over the place right now. Every week they’re belting out tunes and while a lot of their performance hinges on their mood, the audiences\’ mood, and the inebriation of both, they know how to sock it to the crowd when they want to.

What can I say, they’re a righteously fun band, that never takes themselves too seriously all the while delivering on all counts. It’s a balancing act that threatens to fall apart countless times but never does.

Not many bands have this kind of chemistry anymore and it’ll be great to see how the rest of the year rolls out for them.

Is it me, or am I at School every week now? They must be dousing my drinks a bit more than usual.

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