Mission of Burma with Battles - Bowery Ballroom (New York) - Friday, February 10, 2006

by Matthew Berlyant
17 February 2006

I was looking forward to this show because it would be my third time seeing the great MISSION OF BURMA since they reformed in 2001, and also because BATTLES was the opening act.

Battles is an instrumental quartet featuring former members of DON CABALLERO, HELMET, and the MIKE PATTON led TOMAHAWK. However, they don’t sound like any of those bands. My friend Jeremy was reminded of THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN, the band fronted by maverick prog- and art-rock guitarist ROBERT FRIPP in the early ‘80s. But personally, I haven’t heard anything exactly like Battles.

For starters, instead of the normal two guitars/bass/drums (or guitar/bass/keyboard/drums) setup, they have two keyboard players, including one who also plays guitar on occasion and another one, their leader, who makes weird noises with his mouth, not unlike those made by Mike Patton or RAHZEL, the godfather of noize. I suspect that he would’ve fit in well on BJORK’s last album, the all-vocals Medulla. Battles also has a powerhouse drummer who set up at the front of the stage and played in odd time signatures on an odd kit (he had to reach up high to hit his lone cymbal). All in all, their music had a hypnotic effect, with minimalistic drones often paving the way for loud conclusions. Their music requires close concentration, but it’s ultimately quite rewarding.

After Battles, Mission of Burma took the stage and proceeded to play what was by far the best show of the three times that I’ve seen them. Their intensity level was just unbelievable, and they were tighter than I’d ever seen them. They played two sets, each about 50 minutes to an hour long, with a 15-minute break between sets. And then they returned for a three-song encore.

The first set concentrated primarily on older material from their landmark 1981 EP Signals, Calls and Marches (including a terrific version of “Academy Fight Song” and a seering “This is Not a Photograph,” the second song of the night) and the stunning 1982 full-length Vs (including the formidable “Mica” and a great, driving version of the album opener “Secrets”). They also played a few songs from their 2004 comeback album OnOffOn, including a great version of “Wounded World,” and a few songs from their new album, slated for release in May. Another highlight was “Peking Spring,” the first song they ever wrote.

Whereas the first set expertly blended the more familiar material with a few new songs, the second set concentrated more on newer material, and thus was a bit tough to get into. However, midway through they got the momentum (and the audience) back for the remainder of the set, as they launched into “Playland” and followed it with the classic “That’s When I Reach for My Revolver.” For the concluding song of the encore, they brought out BOB WESTON (who took over for MARTIN SWOPES on tapes, and wasn’t on stage for most of the evening) to sing on a cover of WIRE’s “Dot Dash,” an unexpected choice that pleased me immensely, since I love the original.

I especially enjoyed Mission of Burma’s set because CLINT CONLEY’s voice, which was a bit thin the first two times I saw them and on OnOffOn, was in top form. He sounded as if he hadn’t lost anything since the early ‘80s. His collected cool made for a great combination with guitarist/vocalist ROGER MILLER’s intensity and drummer PETER PRESCOTT’s funny banter.

Since Mission of Burma’s playing has improved since they’ve reformed, I’m hoping for many more years of shows and records from this terrific band.

Filed under concerts post-punk