“If anyone out there knows how to change a string, I’ll get down on my knees and show you what heaven looks like.”
I don’t know what’s more shocking—that Andy Falkous, lead singer and guitarist for Welsh rock band Future of the Left, is petitioning the audience for a guitar tech, or the image of him pleasuring the rather large, gruff-looking fan that hoists himself on stage to fix his instrument. But subtlety and predictability are not characteristics that Future of the Left care to cultivate, especially when performing at LA’s Spaceland to a packed crowd of eager, jostling fans. “I guess it’s something that I’ve broken three strings on the last three songs,” he continues, and the audience cheers, undoubtedly anticipating more frenzied steel snapping from Falkous.
His Welsh accent comes through loud and clear on the mic; combined with the band’s thrashing guitar chords and relentless drumming, classic groups like The Clash and The Sex Pistols come to mind. But despite its undeniably punk-rock roots, it’s apparent that Future of the Left is trying something new, and it’s working. Take the Roland Juno-60 synthesizer on stage, for instance. Referencing it, Falkous quips, “Don’t worry, the synthesizer is more scared of you than you are of it,” at once acknowledging that die-hard rock fans might cringe at the decidedly electronic piece of equipment on stage, and more importantly, that he doesn’t give a shit. When he uses the Juno-60 on “You Need Satan More Than He Needs You,” anyone who thinks synthesizers are for electronic musicians with too much hair gel will most likely end up a pummeled, sweaty mess heaped on the floor in the middle of the quickly forming slam-dance circle.
Coupled with opener Japandroid’s exuberant, simplistic garage-band style performance (the band consists of two dudes: David Prowse convulsively bashing the drums and Brian King wielding gritty guitar chords with optimistic, energetic alacrity), I’d be surprised if everyone in the crowd didn’t at least once reminisce about their rebellious, liquor-stealing, joyriding youth, or embrace the fact that they are in the middle of it.
Words by Christine Spehar, photos by Curious Josh
