Three Trapped Tigers

I can't quite remember where or how I came across Three Trapped Tigers, although it was almost certainly Electronic Ears related (see yesterday's Blip). Their music is like a modern prog; fast, lots of beats and notes, odd modes and, sometimes, time signatures. When I read that they were Brian Eno's favourite live band, I wasn't that surprised.

This evening, they were playing at The Brudenell - one of my favourite venues - for Blood and Biscuits' 10th anniversary celebration. Now, ideally, I'd have gone with a pal but the Minx was already occupied and, well, frankly, there was no one else who I thought might fancy it. Thus, this evening was a solo mission.

The first - although, actually, only - disappointment was that there was no food on at The Brudenell, this evening: usually you can decide between pie and pizza (or have both). So I had a pint and a packet of crisps and then joined the queue for the doors opening at six-thirty. And I'm glad I did, as the first fifty people through the door were given a goodie bag containing, amongst other bits and bobs, four CDs and a t-shirt*.

First up on stage was Adam Betts, the drummer for Three Trapped Tigers, playing a solo set. His album, 'Colossal Squid', is an absolute beauty and I'd highly recommend it. Bizarrely, I have encountered him three different ways: firstly, through my old chum David Combes who did voice coaching for him and recommended the solo album; then I saw him playing drums for Shobaleader One (although I didn't know it was him at the time); and then I got into Three Trapped Tigers. Anyway, he was great live, although just watching his concentration and effort was tiring.

Then Strobes took the stage, which turned out to be the other band of Three Trapped Tiger's guitarist, Matt Calvert. If I'm being honest, I'd say they were pretty good, if not a patch on Calvert's solo work. Also, at that point, I did then wonder whether all the music this evening would be Three Trapped Tigers or TTT spin-offs.

Which it wasn't, as the next band on was The Physics House Band. For me, though, they were the weakest set. In an evening of prog, theirs seemed to be purely by the numbers. I'm not saying that there weren't good moments but they just served to show how that no matter how clever you're being, there needs to be an element of entertainment. ('An Element Of Entertainment' <-- good title for an album.)

And then we were on to Three Trapped Tigers who were fast, complex, intense, hard work (in places), but, yes, ultimately entertaining. I haven't yet mentioned their keyboard player Tom Rogerson, whom I saw playing a brief solo set at Bluedot, earlier this year, who did a bit of talking between songs, and who brought a warm, human element to the performance.

In hindsight, I'm still not sure whom I would like to have taken along other than the Minx. And I think she'd have enjoyed the beats. 

*Apparently the Minx had told me about this but I was not paying attention: a regularly occurring fault of mine, to be honest.  

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Reading: 'The Liars' Gospel' by Naomi Alderman