Shellac @ All Tomorrow's Parties Sunday 28th March 2004
We had got out of the chalet in record time, just so we could catch their first set at the small stage only to realise that the clocks had gone forward and left us behind. Needless to say when we got there it was packed and they were finishing up. I wasn't disappointed having experienced two of their three afternoon performances at ATP 2002, both of which left me feeling slightly let down. This was probably a case of me not being into rushing out of bed at a festival to see a headline band play in a room that is clearly too small, with the vocals turned down and sleep still in my eyes. This is not what mornings and afternoons are for.
Enough retrospect, the scene moves to the evening of the last day of a great festival and a large good natured crowd have gathered at the big stage. A friend had told me about someone we both knew at the London Scala show doing one of those hip hop style rocking chair dances throughout. Apparently it was like he was doubling up in laughter or just having a fit. I found this quite droll so imagine my suprise when not only myself but half the people around me adopted this very caper. No doubt a testament to the tightness of the groove supplied by Messrs Trainer and Weston. We've all heard of this before but to experience what it does to you is something else.
They play many favourites (well, I can vouch for mine), invariably missing out on others, however tonight everything they touch seems to be turning to gold. The the statutory Q & A session entertains but perhaps goes on too long due to the amount of people holding up hands. I'll forgive them though because Todd quips that Lightning Bolt fans are 'trendy fucks' and he's right, we all are. Albini, in response to someone interrupting his beloved plane song, has the genius to resurrect the term 'cunt-hole' from god knows where and make us all guffaw like we are his bitches. And that night, we were.
Highlights: Dog and Pony Show, My Black Ass, Prayer to God, Copper, Crow
