INTRAVERSE – GRANT ME PERMISSION SINGLE LAUNCH
Tunbridge Wells Forum is one of those important venues for up and coming bands. Oasis played here practically moments before hitting the big time. Nowadays, of course, one of its most vital connections is with Tom Williams and the Boat who have played here so often, they might as well live here.
But today it’s the turn of Intraverse to hit the stage. They are here to celebrate the launch of their new single “Grant Me Permission”. The 250 capacity venue is packed to the rafters on this hot and sweaty night. And things are about to get even hotter and much, much more sweatier.
Intraverse’s self assured set opens with drones and pounding bongos recalling everything from Aborigine didgeridoos to the exotic mysticism of the Far East. It soon ratchets itself up into a funky old hard indie rock song which gets some serious loving from the crowd. From foot taps to very appreciative head nods, the band win the crowd over immediately.
Guitarist Wayne teases out some funky licks on a lemon curd coloured guitar (where does one get a lemon curd coloured guitar from exactly?) while lead singer Max Pepe, the most showman-like of showmen, snarls and sneers his way around the lyrics, mixing expressions of mock shock with affected drunkenness.
Which is, of course, entirely appropriate when the band launch into one of their favourites: “Tipple Your Fancy”, featuring theoft repeated line “I like to drink”. They dedicate it to everyone who’s “getting drunk, is drunk, has ever been drunk – or has never been drunk – which should cover everybody.”
It’s an even funkier number than the songs leading up to this moment (which really is saying something). Imagine Rage Against The Machine if they put aside revolutionary politics about learnt to party a bit – well, a lot actually.
And then, from seemingly nowhere, guitarist Andy plucks out a continental jazz, Papa and Nicole version of “Mr Sandman” for no particular reason other than he can play it – and he can play it incredibly well.
This is the thing about Intraverse. Their music is undoubtedly at the pop end of the indie rock spectrum. But this is pop music with a huge, bulging brain: clever licks, intricate arrangements and a mind blowing blend of showmanship, professionalism and creativity. Oh, and fun. Lots and lots of fun.
All of which is in plentiful supply when they get to the single they’re about to release. “Grant Me Permission”, reviewed elsewhere on these pages, is an excellent Latino pop song. It’s go radio air play scrawled all over it – in a great big thick black marker pen.
It’s a hard grooving, hard grinding, hard rocking song. Sexy, sultry and ever so slightly dirty. “Oooh la la la,” sings Pepe through out. Well quite. The live performance is even greater than the recorded version – something else which takes some doing.
Having done Latino, Intraverse then dash back across the Atlantic, along the Mediterranean and descend somewhere in North Africa for a rich, dusty, hot dose of an Arabian night or two. Guitars are distorted into mizmars (that’s double reeded Arabic woodwind instruments to you and me) while Pepe goes haywire on his bongos.
This instrumental is supposed to give the vocalist a break as he hasn’t been feeling very well of late. It barely shows. His vocal chords may be getting a rest – but that’s about it as he pounds, dances and gyrates on stage.
“We’re going to bring it down a notch or two – from eleven to five,” Max Pepe announces a little later on. Not to be pedantic, but wouldn’t that be six notches?
And then comes something truly astonishing. They do just that. Intraverse take things down an indeterminate number of notches with a slower, more tender and impassioned number. Hey, Andy even gets out an acoustic to show they mean business.
You’d be able to tell this is a more reflective number even with the sound turned down. Instead of bopping and bouncing, the crowd are now swaying and waving lighters (£1 from the merchandise table at the back, if you’re interested).
Of course, being Intraverse, the subduedness doesn’t last for long. Soon the electric guitar returns and wave upon wave of chugging, throbbing chords wash over the crowd. It’s a sonic masterpiece.
The final songs of the night are played on the condition the crowd will go “f***ing mental”. 250 Intraverse fans duly oblige and a violent looking mosh pit forms quickly. There’s even a cautious attempt at crowd surfing. It doesn’t quite work. But never mind.
The last words of the night are, of course, “Please download the single on Monday”. Now there’s an idea. A very good idea indeed.
Order Grant Me Permission on iTunes
