17th March 05 - Ernest Conquer Camden Underworld(2/4) By Michelle Dee

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Photograph Gallery   Seven Ball Gallery 1,    Gallery 2,    Ernest Gallery 1.    Gallery 2,    Gallery 3,

Down a flight of stairs and we are below the London streets in a dark club, a stage up at one end the DJ box at the other, in between a bar area through an opening on the left and then a ramp going to the dance floor. I would say it had a capacity of about three hundred and that night a good two hundred or so were there.

Seven ball, originally from York, played just before Ernest. They didn't draw me in till the latter end of the set, which I think was more recent material. They shift from the shorter one tempo stuff into a drawn out moody and all together different space.

They had some interesting musical arrangements with the guitarist playing slide on his lap and the bassist, larger than life, taking a dominant role in the sound's make up. A rather good pre-cursor to Ernest I thought, just easing the envelope open and peering into the depths within. They certainly looked over Ernest territory but never made camp.

Ernest were awesome, with no introduction Dale and Terry start off with one note rising eerily. They are bent double over the amp then moments later; they both turn to face the audience in perfect synchrony. No talk, just straight in to the breath-taking music. Ernest have a living, breathing quality to them, they explode and implode simultaneously, exploring the minutiae and majesty in equal measure.

The creative pounding of the drums, can you really do that with a cymbal, underpins swelling crescendos: rising, falling; ever changing and evolving. I imagine a golden sandbank being shaped and formed by the continual onslaught of an autumn tide. Sometimes Ernest territory appears as a strong reassuring place; sometimes it is more a foreboding trap ready to snare the unsuspecting blunderers. I thought inspo sounded f**king amazing blew the roof of. Ernest shattering news from around the globe with soundbites from Japan, Canada, South Africa and England.

I like them because they're ace. They were good very good. I liked Sevenball better, I thought Ernest were a bit too prog. rock. From Al and Jim from Camden. I liked the start of the set .. yeah man they were good. Right at the moment, the Camden sounds are pretty Ramonesy, its quick in ya face tracks, in and out. It's good stuff, though I thought there were elements of Ernest that were too long slightly shorten it a bit and you'd be there I'd of thought.

Now I am inside a pub, next door to the venue, that looks very much like the Street Life museum back home. There are shop fronts from yesteryear lining the walls, there also appears to be a radio station inside the pub.

It's huge, we are kind of in the middle of a street scene with a bar placed like an island in a sea of people. Keeping the bar on your left you can wander all around this impressive place. Downstairs there is a dining area, upstairs I can see balconies, walkways and more seating areas.

Continued next page (3/4)

Check the thisisUll.com Gallery Photographs courtsey and Copyright © Michelle Dee 2005

Photograph Gallery   Seven Ball Gallery 1,    Gallery 2,    Ernest Gallery 1.    Gallery 2,    Gallery 3,

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