Miscellaneous - Barfly, London, 22/7/2004
by Daniel Cressey
published: 18 / 7 / 2004
intro
A band with a title like Audio Karate seem guaranteed to give your ears a good pounding. Daniel Cressey finds them thankfully living up to their name at the London Barfly
You would expect a band called Audio Karate to give your ears a thorough pounding. Thankfully AK lives up to that name, and if the night is not quite the musical equivalent of Bruce Lee’s one-inch-punch it is at least a good slapping from Jet Lee. The young crowd at the Barfly has already been warmed up by two bands by the time the they take the stage. My Awesome Compilation comes on like second album Three Colours Red meeting a hardcore version of Jimmy Eat World. MC Lars sounds like the Bloodhound Gang compressed into one man, if that man rapped about Edgar Allen Poe and critiqued the emo-punk scene. At first it feels like the venue has emptied a bit as Arturo Barrios (vocals, guitar), Gabriel Camacho (drums), Jason Camacho (guitar) and Justo Gonzalez (bass) come on stage. Actually people have just moved closer to the stage, which isn’t really necessary as someone, somewhere has turned the volume up since the last two bands. But maybe it is a good thing – by the end of the gig more people have arrived to fill the space. Although they have all the elements of the typical American punk band Audio Karate manage to be something more and something darker. Barrios rarely opens his eyes as he screams his choruses and bassist Gonzalez manages to lean over at gravity defying angles. Jason Camacho holds his body rigid but appears to have little control over his neck muscles. His head bounces wildly as he lets off guitar solos that defy the easy cliché of punk being only three chords. While the drummer is hidden at the back of the Barfly’s small stage he performs solidly, holding the band together in the instrumental interludes they’ve clearly mastered. It doesn’t seem like their recent tour has tired Audio Karate at all and there is a tension in the band that hints at the serious damage they could do if they got really angry. ‘Gypsyqueen’ has a worrying expression of friendship when it opens: “Did you kill someone? I will hide your gun.” Then in ‘Hey Maria’ Barrios beseechingly threatens “don’t be too late – you’ll make me crazy”, and you get the impression that you wouldn’t like him when he gets crazy. But tonight I liked him – and the rest of the band – a lot.
most viewed articles
current edition
The Church - Interview with Steve KilbeySimon Heavisides - Destiny Stopped Screaming: The Life and Times of Adrian Borland
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.
Jack Roscoe - Interview
Near Jazz Experience - Interview
Sami Sumner - Interview
Vetchinsky Settings - Interview
Liam Gallagher and John Squire - Olympia Theatre, Dublin, 16/3/2024
Nico - Profile
Doug Dillard Expedition - Live At The Hotel Fremont, Las Vegas, September 1970
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPPere Ubu - Interview
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
Pete Brown - Interview
Echo And The Bunnymen - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Sheffield - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Heavenly - Interview
Michael Lindsay Hogg - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Lewis 'Burner' Pugh - Bullets for BreadKula Shaker - Natural Magick
Ian Hunter - Defiance Part 2: Fiction
Ty Segall - Three Bells
David Cross Band - Ice Blue Silver Sky
My Life Story - Loving You is Killing Me
Beyonce - Cowboy Carter
Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
Hillbilly Moon Explosion - Back in Time
Texas and Spooner Oldham - The Muscle Shoals Sessions
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart