(((O))) Live: Melvins • Redd Kross – Electric Ballroom, London

With a well earned reputation for being one of the most formidable live bands on the planet, you can guarantee Melvins will always garner a wave of enthusiasm when they announce a tour on these shores, and this was certainly case when the band announced the “Stop Your Whining” summer tour. That wave of enthusiasm was bolstered by the fact that Redd Kross would be joining them on the road, with the intertwining nature of both bands an added bonus .

It is with great pleasure that we took in the tour at their stop at London’s famousElectric Ballroom in Camden Town, a venue that has seen more than its fair share of legendary shows over the years, many of which have posters plastered over the walls of the venue, and after tonight you could certainly add Melvins and Redd Kross to that vast array of artists.

Redd Kross kicked the night off in fine style with a high energy set that saw the snappily dressed quartet of vocalist/guitarist Jeff McDonald, lead guitarist Jason Shapiro and the on double duty (more of that later) Steven McDonald on bass and Dale Crover on drums play a set that was both high octane and highly entertaining.

Consisting of songs from last years brilliant self-titled album alongside tracks from their other albums and EPs, the set included 90s classics from  Phaseshifter and Third Eye alongside material from earlier releases, like their debut record Born Innocent.

Kicking off with ‘Huge Wonder’, Redd Kross delivered a masterclass in energetic rock and melody with a swaggering sense of fun as they blasted through their set with the likes of ‘Stunt Queen’, ‘Lady In The Front Row’ and ‘Candy Coloured Catastrophe’ all emphatic highlights and the band looked as if they were having the time of their lives up there. With the theatrical element of their stage show amped up, it is great to see the fun they are having, with The McDonald brothers and Shapiro pulling some flamboyant moves all through their set, and Jeff McDonald even coming out draped with a silk scarf over his face while still singing!

As the set progresses, we are treated to a Beatles cover in the shape of ‘It Won’t Be Long’, a “slutty” version of ‘Switchblade Sister’ and a phenomenal rendition of the immortal Phaseshifter opener ‘Jimmy’s Fantasy’ (dedicated to “the ghost of Tina Turner”) before the anthem that is ‘Linda Blair’ finishes things off in fine style. Having wanted to see Redd Kross for thirty years. It’s been more than worth the wait to finally do so.

Coming on to the distorted sound of Jimi Hendrix’s rendition of ‘The Star Spangled Banner’, Melvins emerge and completely level the Electric Ballroom from the moment they first step on stage. Just as fun but in a completely different way, there is nothing that prepares you for the power of Melvins’ music in a live setting.

The band are live are a force of nature, and as they hit the stage with the snazzily dressed and instantly recognisable, formidable form of vocalist/guitarist Buzz Osborne alongside a returning and similarly stylishly dressed Steven McDonald on bass. Dale Crover returns to sit next to Coady Willis, both on drums and both providing a pummelling rhythm from the start, displaying how good musicians they are and how well the two drummers work together, and provide an amazing experience from start to finish.

The kaleidoscopic rhythms cascade down as Crover and Willis create a cacophony of sound that transfixes you completely, with the sheer power of two drumkits hypnotising you, only snapping out of it as Buzz Osborne and Steve McDonald bring the noise from the front of the stage, and the whole experience is nothing short of electric.

Melvins open their set with ‘Working The Ditch’ and, with such a vast back catalogue, they have a whole array of material they could perform, but their set is a well-balanced look at a whole portion of their career. With standout performances of ‘Never Say Your Story’, ‘Honey Bucket’, ‘Revolve’ and the double-punch of  ‘A History Of Bad Men’ and ‘Blood Witch’ from Big Business collab (A) Senile Animal (with the added bonus of having Coady back onstage as a Melvin) this makes it extra special.

The sheer wall of noise that the band bring throughout is nothing short of phenomenal – a non-stop bombardment of pure cathartic noise. As  Melvins finish off their triumphant set with ‘Night Goat’ from Houdini to a well deserved barrage of applause from the adoring crowd, everyone is in awe at what they have just witnessed. As with Redd Kross, I have waited a long time to see Melvins, and they similarly didn’t disappoint one bit – a simply incredible, mesmerising performance.

With both bands having such lengthy careers, it is heart-warming to see Melvins and Redd Kross, at the top of their game, playing such exceptional sets to equally rapturous audiences. Long may this continue as, on this form, these are two bands you could watch again, and again, and again.