Quicksand Remedy
Quicksand Remedy Concert 5 Feb, 2010 [Indepth REVIEW]
Read the highlights of the concert here. If you’d like to know what I thought of the band blow for blow.. read on! Any comments really welcome!
Coming onstage the band quickly announced its first tune, “Welcome To The Circus”. This song was debuting at the gig. Lucky us.
Having seen these guys before, their songs turn up the heat, leave the songs on a slow boil to then crack you over the nut with a killer ending. This song, a great insight into further material from the band. It hit with a great funk based groove bass line, with a healthy amount of progressive stops and starts. I liked the song but as an opener it’s a slower one in their repertoire!
Next up they charged in with, “Nothing Compared To You”. This song has been reworked a few times since the band’s first gigs back in 2007. Delivered with energy and charm, the tune rocked the audience and you could see was equally enjoyed by the band.
The main melody, I felt took a long time to kick in. Still it was a refreshing re-working of an established tune. Obviously, this song came across as well polished. It is one of their strongest in their repertoire. I would have personally changed around this song for, “Welcome to the Circus”.
“Falling Apart,” brings a different edge to the QSR set list. Having a very live-wire Pearl Jam feel. This song with a very impressive and potent, yet simple instrumental interlude that goes straight to the heart of the matter.
This song defines a sad potency marking the band’s departure from their previous totally upbeat funk-wholesome sound. For me, this was one of major highlights in their gig. The song is as powerful as it is emotive. I believe this is one of the songs really played from the heart. The band has translated these emotions well into a powerful hard rock funk epic.
They’ve played this tune 2x before. Once they played it acoustically and for me, it’s a very interesting direction for the band.
As a musician and having liked the song a bit too much, sorry guys, but I’m gonna have to criticise it. I thought the stopping and starting was a bit overplayed. It affected the overall tempo of the song…
Quicksand remedy in the studio
Where would we be without, “Try Therapy?”. Chris’ amp was finally able to be heard in the overall audible sound-mix. With their older and more practiced songs, the band comes across more solid live. With “Try Therapy?”, there was no exception. The last phrases for this song are now very anthemic, delivered with no-holes-barred powerful hard rock stampede and a funk bass line hitting where other beers can’t reach!
Following up on the previous song’s funk ‘til you drop masterpiece we were introduced to some newer material, “Seething Mass Of Humanity”. This is pure Pearl Jam influenced number, with a pure QSR injection. The song for me defines the newer and more original direction for the band.
The bass line was relentless with its funk-some delivery. A pity as the song was was let down by the sound mix. Chris’ guitar could have been more crunchy putting the ‘heavy’ into the rock!
As a musician, I would say having the bass and guitar playing on and offbeat, with some off time ride hits would give the song a little more edge. That’s me being picky!
From the heavier songs heard that evening, the band relaxed the sound kicking back with, “Acoustic Shaped Tranquiliser”. The song is otherwise known as, “Audio Shaped Tranquiliser”.
For me this was probably one of their weakest songs played that night. The song takes too long to kick in. When it finally does, it does rule the day. I’d have to say look at the crowd guys when you next play this one. I felt a little disinterest from the crowd until it kicked in at the end, but that was solely my experience.
QSR pride their songs on the slower build up for heavy, stamping staple funk-metal endings. With this song’s stronger part at the end, I’d personally recommend, for this song, a heavier start using the song’s ending melodies and place them at the beginning.
Next up was their infamous, “Tribute” is always a winner with the band’s on-stage heavy rocking and bass-tastic confident performance. Nothing bad could be said about this number. This song plus the penultimate song of the evening, “Funky Tasty”, were well known by their following and set off dancing with hands in the air.
QSR, much to the crowd’s enjoyment, through in a cover of Chilli’s “If you have to ask”. Delivered in their ineffable style, it was an interesting choice. From their 2 core influences I no longer feel the band is separated in influence with their Pearl Jam vs Chillis sound.
Previously they had TOO much of a rock vs funk dichotomy. The sound now comes across as conjoined and as such is less forced and more natural sounding.
Leaving one of their best tunes til last, the kettle finally boiled over with their latest anthemic song, “Hard Times”.
Heavier sounding live, than recorded, the song doesn’t let up or disappoint. Despite being newer to the band’s set list, it sounds well practiced, [I guess that’s what playing the song on the metro does Chris – see video]. For some of the more comical elements, Johns [the drummer] dancing was imitated by the crowd, of the same video [linked above]. All in all, Hard times was a vibrant, energetic and hard hitting number.
Chris, ended off the song with a gruff vocal, “Quicksaaaandddddddd”, settling a triumphant upbeat feeling with the crowd. Come-on guys…. We wanted another? No, it was time at the bar and QSR packed up giving us, the audience a well deserved breather and time to grab a drink and do some Skillington moves… hhaaahhha.
Quicksand Remedy who we’ve done previous reviews of live performances are playing at Sidecar with the excellent Layabouts who’re touring, promoting their newer material.
Live Music, Bands, Events in Barcelona, Spain 