Levi's Ones to Watch Tour
Cut Off Your Hands, Cazals, Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man
Barfly, Camden
Tuesday 19th February 2008
By Elliot Kuruvita
Cut Off Your Hands. Photo: Daniel Boud
There's always a strong sense of anticipation whenever the Levi's Ones to Watch tour rolls into town for the London leg. You only have to glance at previous line-ups to get the idea that this cold and foggy Tuesday night in Camden could actually turn into something quite special indeed.
Before the first chord of the night is even struck, the atmosphere that resonates throughout the Barfly is one that you could only ever experience at small, intimate shows like this. This atmosphere, in part, is largely due to the fact that tonight's gig will be showcasing two bands whose talents should no doubt excel them into the higher echelons of indie status; these being Cut Off Your Hands and Cazals.
First to take to the stage, however, is a band that perhaps epitomises all that is bizarre, strangely alluring and yet wonderfully fantastic about their genre of music. Perhaps slightly out of place here
Cazals
tonight, Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man do their utmost to capture every essence that makes their viewing so compelling. With songs like Motherhood and Fatherhood, it's fair to say that tonight's indie spectacular gets off to a slow and somewhat morbid start, but you have to realise that this is their style. Despite the visible lack of bodies in the venue during their set and the slight technical hitch at the start, Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man conjure a crowd that see everything that is positive about this Nick Cave-esque ensemble. You wouldn't invite them to play at your Christmas party, but as a relatively new band working hard to craft a sound that befits their style and persona, Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man are no doubt headed in the right direction.
It's not until Cazals take to the stage that the Barfly really sees some action. Their infectious blend of
Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man
indie-dance and rock-pop sets the place alight, making clear to the crowd that this is exactly what they came here to do. Their onstage presence is felt throughout the now rammed venue, with limbs flailing and, as bodies dervish around down at the front, it's clear to see just why Cazals have been deemed 'ones to watch'. Head nodding and toe tapping aside, Cazals are more than just a few catchy riffs and beats; they have an extremely intelligent grasp of what works musically. With songs as good as Life Is Boring and To Cut a Long Story Short, Cazals have quite easily nailed what it takes to craft the perfect blend of beats, rhythms and melodies to leave them with an end product that could herald them as one of the most promising new talents of 2008.
After having supported the likes of Bloc Party, We Are Scientists and The Datsuns, and with an EP produced by Suede's Bernard Butler, the Auckland quartet Cut Off Your Hands have all the credentials needed to headline tonight's festivities. With riffs so sharp they could take your eye out, it seems odd that the band, formerly known as Shaky Hands, haven't enjoyed a bigger slice of commercial success to date. The reason may lie with the fact that there is currently a multitude of other bands plugging out the same sound; chiming guitars, warm melodies and songs about love and loss. Songs like Still Fond and Oh Girl carry a long way tonight while the raucous You and I adds something a little spicier o the mix. Do Cut Off Your Hands manage to pull it off tonight? The answer would be yes, however, tonight's performance was certainly not career defining. That said, they do show a barrage of potential that, once fully honed and finely tuned, could see them become one of the indie leagues main players.
For more details about any of the above bands, including any forthcoming UK tour dates, simply follow the links below:
www.ents24.com/cutoffyourhands
www.ents24.com/cazals
www.ents24.com/OxEagleLionMan
