Old new school wave - aaaargh! It's a CONSPIRACY!

Conspiracy

La Porte Noire

7 Oct 2011

 

The voice is dry, the guitar is - let's say - "discrete", the synth practically inaudible. But we don't care, because it's the best sounding bass we've heard in yonks, and some concessions need to be made to the neighbours here at La Porte Noire.  Which incidentally happens to have an exceptionally good selection of Belgian beers, for those of you not familiar with the place.

First Conspiracy gig in 20 years, and singer Bruno has swapped his the grey shoulder padded suit & skinny tie of yesteryear for his birthday suit (within some limits of decency) by the second song (the first one was instrumental). Raw, angry, punchy, and yet smooth and melodic, though subtly is hard to grasp in this context, as the sound balance is not the best. There's certainly a great variety in the tunes.

Bruno, being an echte Brusseleer, swaps with ostensible ease between English with a marginal French accent and French with a strong Brussels accent, often within the same song. Which is most impressive, as he really uses both languages effectively, despite each language having its own rhythmic signature.

A cover of New Dawn Fades confirms at least one influence in what must be a long list of 80's bands, and unlike us, they play it with a certain sense of urgency, in the right key, and without fluffing the lyrics. It does go down well with the audience, which is a decent turn out and features various illustrious characters from the local indie scene.

We've got to get these guys up on a larger stage with a bit more than a pub sound, cause I want a proper balance on that guitar (the snippets I did catch were fabulous). Conspiracy may be Old School New Wave, and would have been passed it in the early '90s, but with bands like Editors and White Lies floating about, they're definately relevant today, and well woth checking out.

Many thanks to Fred from Soirée Cerises for pics and organisation.