As one of the founding members of Beak>, Billy Fuller has always been a figure whose presence has been tied to those around him, which made the release of Fragments earlier this year such an absolute gem. A collection of bedroom compositions that flit between tense minimalism and cinematic bombast, it’s a testament not just to Fuller as a bassist but also as a multi-instrumentalist and a composer. Given the intimate origins of these songs, it does make one wonder what alterations are going to have to be made along the way to bring them to life but thankfully he has Andy Sutor (drums) and Joe Charsley-Smith (keyboard/guitar) to smooth the transition.
Opening with ‘Rummer’ seems like an obvious move but it’s also a canny one, Fuller’s propulsive basswork setting the pace of the show while delivering a jarring kick to the senses from the off, a sharp metallic twang that fights fervently against Charsley-Smith’s warbling, retro-futurist synths. ‘Three Blind Mice’ steps up the complexity, somewhat meandering with flashes of baroque flair interwoven with the Giallo gloom, like Goblin squeezing in some J.S. Bach just as the killer makes his final stand. Though it’s an ambitious piece, the general atmosphere is one of easy camaraderie, the comfort among the three players evident in the frequent grins and the smoothness with which they flow from tension to release.
A mid-set peak comes, much to Fuller’s amusement, with a rendition of Beak>’s ‘The Meader’, an odd and occasionally unwieldy cut that nonetheless demonstrates his use of bass as a melodic force. Charsley-Smith’s guitarwork is sparse and playful while Sutor keeps tempo with a near-mechanical sense of precision. Fuller’s execution is just masterful, playing with rhythm and dynamics to imbue the song with a kind of alien lifeforce, obstruse but utterly captivating. Given the room’s reaction, there were evidently a fair few folk who turned up tonight hoping for exactly this, so at least someone is walking away happy.
Later, ‘Something Else’ carries on the playful spirit, a woefully brief but raucous joint that intersperses Fuller’s flighty low-end with sharp stabs of synth, while ‘Bonanza’ is a slice of vintage class, Fuller channelling the soul of John Entwistle as his fingers hammer out a stream of solid-as-a-steel-snake grooves over dreamy strings and tight percussion. A double-bill of ‘Full Fat’ and ‘Blackstar’ bring the night to a close, the former’s pitch-black dub and the funkier, more driving pace of the latter combining to deliver a well-rounded but energetic end to the evening. The execution on both is flawless but it makes sense that they kept ‘Blackstar’ right to the end, Charsley-Smith’s guitarwork a dizzying rush that briefly rivals Fuller’s groove and charm. It’s a celebration of mood, simplicity and versatility, which could be said about tonight’s set as a whole. No encore, no pandering, just three guys holding a room’s undivided attention and having fun while doing it. Hard to think of a better way to spend a Thursday evening.
