Local support Noyo Mathis were given a warm reception as they came on stage at the Wedge and rightly so for live their well-crafted songs aren’t really sounding like anyone else in the Portsmouth scene at the moment, but at the same time wouldn’t sound out of place alongside established acts like indie-rockers Biffy Clyro and Bloc Party.
It’s the fact this three piece don’t just stick to the obvious though that make them exciting to watch, take “Open Book” for example where frontman/guitarist Toby Savill’s finger tapping guitar work adds a prog-rock dimension to their sound along with the confidence in his voice as the vocals are often sung slightly away from the microphone.
So a great start to the evening and having thanked everyone for making the night possible, Noyo Mathis leave the stage to the same applause to which they started and it was soon time for the headliners to follow.
Minus the Bear have been around for a number of years now, currently touring on the back of their 2012 album “Infinity Overhead”, an album produced by former member Matt Bayles who’s known for his work within the Seattle grunge scene of the 90’s and that of doom-ridden bands Mastadon and Isis rather than the electronic led tracks of Minus the Bear.
However the slightly heavier production on the last album focusses more on capturing the live instruments rather than just the keyboards and effects, and this comes across well in tonight’s set with the crowd enjoying the more recent material. The electro side though is still definitely the focus point of their sound, but at times Minus the Bear do seem all too familiar and although the catchy “My Time” is an early highlight on the set list the encore of “Drilling” from the bands second album doesn’t stand out any more than the rest of their performance.
So although they may have some intriguing song titles (“Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse” and “I’m Totally Not Down With Rob’s Alien”) Minus the Bear do however seem to play safe and whilst they may not be particularly ground breaking, with the festival season just around the corner they would however still be a perfect Sunday afternoon band to listen to whilst sat in a field with a nice cold beer.
Written by Mr Teeth, on behalf of www.7bitarcade.com – thanks for your support!
