Brute Force / Misty’s Big Adventure @ The Cellar 5/5/04

Misty’s Big Adventure are a top ten band waiting to happen. They have tunes, vibes, lyrics and quality to rival anyone currently residing there. Fronted by Grandmaster Gareth and featuring an array of musicians Jools Holland would be proud of, Misty’s at times make an almost perfect noise. It is impossible to tie this down to any one element of their multi-faceted sound. The combination of sax, trumpet and scratch DJ gives them uniqueness, whilst the more conventional instruments of guitars, drums and keyboards are utilised brilliantly.

Drawing influences from bands as diverse as The Beatles, The Specials and Captain Beefheart, Grandmaster Gareth and his merry mob are constantly exploding their happy bombs in the minds of any onlookers. Failing to smile during a Misty’s Big Adventure set is now considered a medical definition of Riga Mortis. Their single ‘I Am Cool With A Capital C’ is a stand out tonight, as is Gareth’s tribute to compilation tapes, ‘Home Taping’s Killing Music’. Tonight, as always, Misty’s were simply brilliant.

The crowds disappointment at Misty’s curtailed set was soon allayed when Brute Force took the stage, backed by the entire Misty’s band. Bedecked in a dapper suit and mesmerising eyebrows, Brute carried on exactly where Misty’s left off. His opening song, ‘Hello’ was the perfect example of how to use measured tweeness to get an audience onside without ever going over the edge into self indulgence.

His set continued in the same vein, including a rather bizarre duet where his daughter played the role of his wife and his last two songs, ‘The King of Fuh’ and ‘Tapeworm of Love’ which were genius slices of 60’s melodies brought bang up to date by a intricate musical mind and a mad 9 piece ensemble.

Once again TrailerPark succeeds with the business of bringing unabashed quality to Oxford.