Ty Segall - Babylon, Ottawa, 18/10/2010
by Andrew Carver
published: 5 / 11 / 2010

intro
Andrew Carver at the Babylon in Ottawa sees highly touted Californian Ty Segall play an enthuiastic set of loud, but lo-fi pop
Ty Segall is yet another musician riding the rising wave of lo-fi pop along with folks like Wavves, Ariel Pink and Kurt Vile. His brand is louder and more psychedelic than most in the loosely defined field dubbed ‘shitgaze’ in some quarters, and for his tour in support of his latest album ‘Melted’ he had some appropriately noisy fellow travellers. The first band to step on Babylon’s black-painted stage was local quartet Holy Cobras, whose sound started somewhere near the Gun Club, travelled through the Germs and is now somewhere around Sleeper (the U.S. version) and the Stooges crossed with Spaceman 3. Frontman Grady was as usual shirtless, wearing dark shades and leather gloves. Unlike usual he had decided not to write an oblique slogan across his naked chest, leaving only the largely erased remnants from an early show. Unfortunately, while the evening had attracted a sizable audience, it seemed a bit dazed - perhaps it was because of the Monday - and the lack of crowd appreciation led the frequently snarky frontman to leave the crowd with “Stick around for the next two bands ... then go to hell.” They were followed by Teenanger, whose lo-fi, Modern Lovers-worshipping sound seems to be acquiring more feedback squalls as it grows older. Like the Holy Cobras, the band favours highly reverbed vocals, but puts some more twang into the audio mix thanks to Roy Orbison-loving guitarist G.C. Gary. Their fine set was unfortunately truncated when bassist Sharon Needles’ amp head gave up the ghost as they headed into their last song. While the somnolent audience didn’t appreciably liven for the headliner, Segall and company gave it their all. The perennially grinning Segall flopped his golden locks around as gothic beauty Emily Rose kept up a steady thump on drums and bassist Denee Petracek gamely responded to his stops and starts. Meanwhile, guitarist Charlie Moonheart traded off licks and feedback fuzz, sometimes wandering off the stage as he did. At one point an enthusiastic Segall carried Moonheart around on his shoulders, both still playing guitar. Segall’s blistering fretwork levitated his already excellent tunes to another level, and only an extreme exhaustion can explain the audience’s rather lacklustre response to one of the year’s best shows.
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/Ty-Segall-268287955622/http://www.ty-segall.com/
Have a Listen:-
Picture Gallery:-




favourite album |
Harmonizer (2022) |
![]() |
Maarten Schiethart examines unfathomable King of Garage Punk Pop Ty Segall's thirteenth album, which was released at the end of last year. |
soundcloud
reviews |
Three Bells (2024) |
![]() |
Tedious garage rock on latest double LP from over-prolific San Francisco-based musician Ty Segall |
Harmonizer (2021) |
Emotional Mugger (2016) |
Sleeper (2013) |
Cat Black (2013) |
Would You Be My Love? (2013) |
Twins (2012) |
most viewed articles
current edition
Peter Doherty - Blackheath Halls, Blackheath and Palace Halls, Watford, 18/3/2025 and 21/3/2025Armory Show - Interview with Richard Jobson
Liz Mitchell - Interview
Deb Googe and Cara Tivey - Interview
Lauren Mayberry - Photoscapes
Max Bianco and the BlueHearts - Troubadour, London, 29/3/2025
Maarten Schiethart - Vinyl Stories
Clive Langer - Interview
Sukie Smith - Interview
Kim Wilde - Photoscapes
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPBoomtown Rats - Ten Songs That Made Me Love....
Trudie Myerscough-Harris - Interview
Doris Brendel - Interview
Beautiful South - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Kay Russell - Interview with Kay Russell
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Pulp - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
Jay Reatard - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Davey Woodward - Mumbo in the JumboNigel Stonier - Wolf Notes
Wings - Venus and Mars
Only Child - Holy Ghosts
Kate Daisy Grant and Nick Pynn - Songs For The Trees
Neil Campbell - The Turnaround
Philip Jeays - Victoria
Darkness - Dreams On Toast
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
Charles Ellsworth - Cosmic Cannon Fodder
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart