THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY @ Mean Fiddler

Angelica - BVST - 11/27/2004

November 27th. I've been looking forward to this date for weeks. Today was to be the day that Diego and I would see Motörhead in their hometown, and at the Hammersmith Apollo (THE venue associated with the band, and the namesake of their first live album No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith), no less. Of course, I didn't take into account that, in their hometown, Motörhead make like Iron Maiden and sell out the equivalent of the Bell Center in a matter of days. Of course, London is chock full of "ticket brokers" (read: glorified scalpers), who graciously offered us tickets at 45 pounds a piece (that's about $110 Canadian, for those of you keeping score at home). A week later, the price was up to 75 pounds a piece (yes, that would indeed be about $180 bucks). Uh, no thanks. But why waste a perfectly good Saturday night?

As luck would have it, The (International) Noise Conspiracy happened to be playing a rock club that night, and for a much more reasonable price. I have tried (and failed) to see them in Montréal on three separate occasions: once because I was too tired, once because of a term paper, and once because I was sick as a dog. Suffice it to say, I was just hoping to not get hit by a bus on the way to the show, 'cause there was no way I was going to miss them a fourth time.

By the time the band took the stage at 1 am, the crowd was buzzing with anticipation, and the band didn't disappoint. They came on like a firecracker, ripping through familiar hits like "Up for Sale" and "Capitalism Stole My Virginity" with a fierce, fiery energy unlike any I've ever seen before. Leaping and prowling across the stage, the five-piece didn't just rock, they careened uncontrollably, barreling through their set with abandon. The incredible stage presence of the band members and the way in which they fearlessly, aggressively interact with the audience and each other is nothing short of transfixing. Of course, it didn't hurt that there was more than a little homoerotic horseplay...

The only downside was the length of the set, a whopping seven songs. Not the band's choice, of course. Rock clubs here in London are basically dance clubs with band appearances, and those appearances are always kept short. In fact, The (International) Noise Conspiracy pushed the time limit of their set with an extra song: the blistering single "Armed Love" from their new release of the same name. The crowd went bananas, screaming and leaping along with the band. And then, before we knew it, the dance floor lights were back up, and the band was gone.

I was lucky enough to chat with lead singer Dennis Lyxzen and bass player Inge Johansson after the show, and they were unbelievably approachable, friendly and charming. Of course I asked about an upcoming Montreal date, but it seems that because of label trouble, the new album isn't being released in North America, and therefore there aren't any dates on the horizon for us. Too bad. After this little taste, I'm looking forward to more.

Angelica hosts BVST every Wednesday 6pm – 8pm. The fact that Diego was quickly dropped from the story makes us suspect foul play.