From the moment I heard the track ‘Super Sanity’ and saw its bonkers lo-fi video my heart belonged to Ogives Big Band. I reviewed the video, then album Boisterous Love, and bought a ticket for the Rough Trade, Bristol show as soon as they went on sale. The show did not disappoint, and experiencing the album live at organ-rearranging volumes was an experience. Given the sheer force of their performance I imagine the sound engineer was wearing oven gloves to avoid being singed by the sparks shooting out of mixing desk while the needles on VU meters bent out of shape. If the band were a nuclear reactor you would find your hand hovering over the SCRAM button.
Ogives Big Band have now released the Rough Trade, Bristol show as Boisterous Live and Other Animals and, as there is no point in reinventing the wheel, here is what I originally wrote about the gig for Joyzine (full review here):
Ogives Big Band take to the stage like Norse gods on a day trip from Asgard with vocalist Steve Roberts as a young Odin, crackling with energy and leonine hair, and with a scream that could shake the tree of life off its roots. Guitarist/band leader Ben Harris is Heimdall; ever vigilant as the source code for the songs, using his guitar as polyrhythmic glue as well as to launch glissando bolts of fret lightning. Bassist Corey Carruthers Bell is Thor, bringing thunder to bear in order to create heft and power as well as often matching Harris’s riffs, and drummer John Stewart is Hermod, the fastest of all the gods unphased by the changing rhythms and driving everyone with his speed and power.
This was the Ogives night, and the crowd went wild as each song from their new album Boisterous Love threatened to break the cones of the inhouse PA. There was an especially loud roar when the tinny pre-recorded section gave way to the immense tectonic crunch of ‘Super Sanity’. The great joy of the Ogives is not just their ability to be deadly serious about their playing but how they deliver it with a great sense of humour. It’s a winning combination that I believe will see them win them legions fans and hopefully huge success along with it.
The live album captures the bravura playing and happy-scrappy brilliance of the band. It might not be as good as seeing them live but it’s bloody close and a great substitute in between shows (like a metal Milky Way).
On a personal level I am also very chuffed that the band asked to use a mash-up of some of my photographs from the gig as the cover.
Ogives Big Band socials: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Boisterous Live and Other Animals was recorded & mixed by James King @ Rough Trade, Bristol on 26/07/2024 and mastered by Corey Carruthers-Bell.
Review by Paul F Cook
Keep up to date with all new content on Joyzine via our
Facebook | Bluesky | Instagram | Threads | Mailing List