Concert review: Black Midi at The Orange Peel
Worn down from a long week, I was running on fumes by the time Black Midi — the London-based quartet of Geordie Greep (guitar/vocals), Cameron Picton (bass/vocals), Morgan Simpson (drums), and Seth Evans (keyboards) — made its entrance to The Orange Peel stage on Sept. 9. But I received a second wind as excitement built via sounds of the boxing announcer introduction that typically heralds the band’s hit song “Sugar/Tzu.”
Positioned inches away from the front of the stage with camera in hand, I was nearly knocked on my ass when the group launched into “Welcome to Hell,” a standout from its 2022 album, Hellfire, to begin their set. The packed Ashevlle venue immediately started to rumble, the floor shaking beneath our feet. As I attempted to snap pictures, beach balls surprisingly bounced around the energized crowd and into the photo pit.
As soon as “Welcome to Hell” concluded, Simpson, whose kit was positioned to the very front of the stage, left his post to deal with a technical issue. His bandmates wasted little time easing into the quiet introductory verse of “Sugar/Tzu.” Arriving back to his throne with not a second to spare, Simpson immediately sent the song into hyperdrive with an impressive barrage of rapid-fire beats. From my distinct vantage point, it was totally exhilarating to watch unfold.
In the studio, the young band crafts some of the most adventurous tunes of recent memory. Characterized by totally unpredictable time signature changes, their songs can give an unassuming listener whiplash. On stage, they proved to have all of the technical prowess necessary to pull off the head-spinning diversions that make their albums so thrilling. The high decibel amplification further strengthened the impact.
Following with the powerful mechanical charge of Schlagenheim (2019) opener “953,” the band had me feeling like I’d been in the ring with Mike Tyson by the time I exited the photo pit and headed towards the very rear of the Orange Peel for the rest of the show.
Black Midi isn’t for everyone; even most fans can acknowledge that their dizzying tempo and stylistic shifts can be an exhausting overload. And as much as each of their studio records have blown my mind, I really have to be in the right mood to listen. Having grown up on a heavy regular dosage of Mr. Bungle and King Crimson, as well as plenty of noise rock, Black Midi’s audacious experimental prog-meets-post-punk sound is closely inline with my musical DNA.
The dynamic shifts between quiet and loud, fast and slow, left would-be moshers perplexed as the young fans attempted to form circle pits. From the back of the room, hearing the explosive anxious banger “bmbmbm” further satiated my needs. As Black Midi continued to the mood-shifting “Still,” I wondered how much longer I could last, and within a couple more songs, I threw in the proverbial towel. I had reached the point at which I was too exhausted to go on. Long removed from my 20s, it’s growing more and more difficult to endure late night sets, even by acts I enjoy.
So, to be perfectly honest, two-thirds into Black Midi’s set that night, I abandoned my post in the back of the crowded Orange Peel and headed for the doors, missing what was undoubtedly a wild moment when, only minutes later, the band packed fragments of “Take Me Out” (Franz Ferdinand), “Money” (Pink Floyd), “You Really Got Me” (The Kinks/Van Halen), and “Iron Man” (Black Sabbath) into the interlude of Cavalcade standout “John L.” It’s not that Black Midi wasn’t every bit as thrilling as I expected them to be. They were fantastic — I just needed a nap.
Prior to Black Midi’s set, fellow Brit rockers Black Country, New Road made its Asheville debut. Bursting onto the scene in 2021 with its exceptional debut, For the first time, then quickly upping the ante with Ants From Up There in early 2022, the septet was on a meteoric trajectory. However, just days prior to the February release of the new album, lead vocalist and guitarist Isaac Wood announced his departure from the band, citing mental health struggles.
Rather than let Wood’s exit be the end of BC, NR, the band continued on as a sextet, with multiple members assuming his lead vocal duties. As much as Wood’s anxiety-fueled talk/sing vocals were an essential ingredient to the group’s winning formula, I remained cautiously optimistic that the band could remain thrilling.
Although aware that they wouldn’t be performing any material from either of their studio releases — both are still in heavy rotation in my house, and I’d love to see them perform those songs live — I was still incredibly excited to see them play, especially since internet chatter amongst fans about their new batch of songs has remained largely positive.
Opening strong with the stellar “Up Song,” BC, NR initially lived up to the extraordinarily high expectations set by its recordings. The infectious burst of chamber pop-infused-post-punk was instantly reminiscent of Arcade Fire’s early anthems. Unfortunately, as the set continued, the results were mixed, with the ensemble often sounding more like a band that lost its frontman, attempting to figure out how to continue on. It’s a reasonable stage for the group to be at, performing an entirely new batch of songs less than a year after losing an integral member.
Splitting vocal duties, Tyler Hyde (bass), Lewis Evans (flute, saxophone), and May Kershaw (keys) failed to exhibit the confidence that makes more seasoned lead singers so engaging. As they continue to tighten up the new material and regain comfort on stage, I believe Black Country, New Road will again prove themselves to be a force to be reckoned with. And despite a bit of disappointment inflicted by my own unfair expectations, I couldn’t be more excited to hear what they do next.
Ever since The Beatles and Rolling Stones led the British Invasion, bands from the other side of the Atlantic have held a stronghold over all that is cool in rock music. In the late ‘70s, the New York scene threatened to bring back control of rock ‘n’ roll to the U.S., but the Brits responded with their own explosion of post-punk and goth music, followed by the rise of shoegaze. Even as American indie rock had its moment in the early-aughts, Radiohead was the band everyone worshiped. With Black Midi and Black Country, New Road at the forefront of their current wave of rising bands, it appears that England’s reign over rock music will continue on for the foreseeable future, even as the Monarchy reels from the passing of the Queen.
(Photos by Jonny Leather)
