Carnivorous Plant Society are hard to confine by musical genres, constantly oozing out of their self-described Mexican Jazz music. Interesting from start to finish and they attract a cult following, along with many fellow musicians.
They have been playing for 12 years, with individual members rotating through and flying off again, like an unstable nucleus. The music does not change in approach. Each show sounds simultaneously fresh and familiar.
The musical group equivalent of Philip K Dick’s scramble suit from A Scanner Darkly. Constantly morphing facial features lasting a nano-second each, to become recognisable and impossible to identify with any distinctive elements.
The present Society consists of Cass Basil bass guitar and mutant (electronic?) mini saxophone. Sean Martin-Buss electric guitar, saxophone, trumpet. Alistair Deverick drums and Jeremy Toi bongos, percussion and whatever’s lying around.
The thaumaturgic music starts with My Mum is Proud of Me. From the two racks of keyboards, we hear an electronic quacking duck percussion. Trumpet is out quick with sophisticated mariachi. The drummer is on to it quickly as well and accents the different elements. Border music with Tex-Mex overtones and a great Beefheart approach.
Which grabs my attention as the fishhook has just gone in and the troutmask remains in place for the rest of the concert.
The tuba first appears on Phantom Finger, with its deep sonorous tone which rumble through the guts.
Its either Bird Story or Francois Hardy (or the two combined) where Scholes start with a muted trumpet and plays the vibraphone seemingly simultaneously. Then a drum bridge and the music become Sixties television soundtrack. I am reminded of the Hawaii Five-O theme, written by Morton Stevens.
The original and best of course, from 1968 to 1980, with Jack Lord channelling Elvis in looks. There is some guitar noodling, and the music keeps blossoming out.
Basil gets her spot on the strange-looking mini saxophone. An electronic tone and the band work it over to the melody of El Condor Pasa.
Written by Peruvian Daniel Alomia Robles in 1913, with lyrics added by Paul Simon in the Sixties.
Scholes informs us of Life and Death as the cycle of a man’s life. From his birth to discovering adulthood. Darkness is there from drug addiction and prison. Salvation comes at the end. Keyboard angels are there at both ends, and throughout the narrative.
I wondered whether it would go down the dark and harrowing path of Suicide’s Frankie Teardrop. There is darkness and discord, but a blessing both precedes and ends the song.
Springsteen also left it at Frankie’s in trouble again. From his Nebraska album, which he claims was heavily influenced by the Art Terrorist duo.
Scholes also warns us what a dark little tune Slave Song is. The movie is a John Ford or Sam Peckinpah Western. Border music and someone dies in the end.
That is the first set, and a lot of music has been packed in.
Scholes is a superb trumpet play. El Perro has the atmosphere of Sixties R’n’B soul keyboard players like Junior Walker or Booker T. He gets to shred on the horn.
American Party Time delivers Skatalite style Ska to Rocksteady. Louche with a jazz guitar solo.
Temple Kiss begins with the tones of Mister Sandman, with an extended vibraphone workout which sparkles with a special resonance. Gear change by a drum roll and the saxophone takes off with it.
contains one of the best drum assaults of the night. But it finishes in a completely different direction as Indie Pop. You’re a lovely girl.
They finish on Down the Misty. Nick Atkinson jumps on to play saxophone. With two trumpets, they finish with more Skatalites.
Carnivorous Plant Society play psychedelic Americana Latino Border music, and even though their distinctive graphics were on hold, they still conjure up movies and landscapes.
Rev. Orange Peel
Photography Leonie Moreland
