Nice review of our show with The Black Lesbian Fishermen and Martyn Bates in Karovos, Evia!
Martyn Bates/Elizabeth S. & The Black Lesbian Fishermen live at Aftoshedi, Karavos, Evia 29/5/14
Who is at home in the dragon–house? The beautiful
...island of Evia is host to several of these mysterious 6th century BC stone ‘Dragon Houses’, so maybe it might well be not totally beyond the realm of possibility to say that some of this mysterious energy crept into a tiny portside venue here in Karavos tonight. Judging by the broad range of spooked out music offered up by a motley assembly that consisted of Athens based experimentalists Black Lesbian Fishermen, U.K. veteran Martyn Bates ( with Elizabeth S. ), and the Howling Larsons - this lot would be very much at home in just such a Dragon House of rarefied, mysterious persuasion. The evening began quietly and assuredly, being teased into life with the ‘fool sound’ of The Howling Larsons, deftly daubing the air with a fetching range of pastel shades - eventually wending their merry way into a version of the notorious Child Song ‘Butcher Boy’. Martyn Bates / Elizabeth S. joined them onstage, and before we knew it we were moving through the fair and into an intense set consisting of Bates’ solo stylings and the occasional Eyeless in Gaza tune – all delivered on a borrowed acoustic and, for Elizabeth S, a first time ever electric guitar. Their set of stark moods and scrubbed songs offered the audience a rare raw nerve on display for all to see tonight – emotion and melody being the watchwords. Then, bringing a heavier palette of music and volumes, on came Black Lesbian Fisherman to move through another Child Song (Lucy Wan), and onto a fire-breathing version of the old murder ballad LONG LANKIN – Bates and Elizabeth S. screaming the song’s conclusion in fine Oedipal style that brought to mind The Doors ‘ The End’, for some of the audience. Black Lesbian Fishermen subsequently took that dark and dirty vibe deep into their own set, and proceeded to move it off into realms unknown, to heights rarely chartered, winding things in along the way with delicate flute interplay - and onto a gossamer and natural conclusion. Playing only to a audience of approx. 2 dozen souls ( that nevertheless filled this tiny venue) that consisted of island music freaks and Athens cognoscenti, the evening was a rare treat deserving of both a wider airing and a wider audience.
– review by The Ghost In The Dragon House.
Alan Trench, Nikos Fokas, Stratis Sgourellis Meer weergeven