Rothko - Arts Cafe, London, 28/10/2003

  by Olga Sladeckova

published: 18 / 11 / 2003

intro

Olga Sladeckova watches strongs sets by three of London's best bands, Rothko, Kelman and Moly, in the small, but intimate setting of the London Arts Cafe

It's been nearly 2 months since Rothko released their latest album ' Wish For A World Without Hurt'. Today, on the 28th October, they are celebrating it, but also their 6 year old history, by playing a gig for their fans at the Arts Cafe in East London. It is a cold and wet evening, and when I enter the venue it feels warm and welcoming. There are various paintings on the walls that with their dark orange and brown colours give the venue a warmer and more artful character still. The bar runs down the left hand side of the room and once you get served you can sit by a table at the side of the cafe or find yourself a spot in the centre of the venue and watch Moly, the first supporting act, preparing for their set. Once the 4 piece band have finished setting up they go straight into their set. The very first tunes we get to hear tonight come from the band's latest EP 'It Rained But We Cheered'. Watching the band you get the impression they are musically very rooted together as they trace the rhythm of their tunes perfectly. There is one only thing though... they are VERY loud. In fact, they are so loud that the venue stuff attempt to make them turn the volume down. The loudness gives the music a real focus and has an unresistably seductive feel. As for me, I give into the music right from the first seconds of the set. Most of the audience seem to be loving it . Unfortunately the Arts Cafe with its 100 people maximum capacity wasn't probably the best place for Moly to spread their music around. After Moly's performance, Kelman's set comes across as very calm and soothing. 'Some Things Never Work Out' is a pretty melancholic song but perfectly matches the grey and rainy evening. Wayne Gooderham (vocals and guitar) and his brother Marc (drums) were previously in Baptiste. With Jane Cockcroft on cello, Kelman it is a new beginning for all 3 of them. The fans listen with the highest attention as the band cut through their set to 'Shut A Final Door' and then conclude with an old Baptiste number, 'A New Career In A New Town'. "I never wanted this/ You always wanted more than this." sings Wayne, his sad voice fading away against the applause at the very end of the song. Finally, Rothko, fronted by Mark Beazley, come up on the stage just before 10:15. Everyone stops talking and all the attention focuses on the stage. Mark Beazley, the bass guitarist and the front man of the band, welcomes us to t the gig and introduces the first tune, 'On The Day We Said Goodbye'. Rothko have been through many line-up changes and every one of them has met with some success and has enrichened the band with something original and new. Since Rothko were joined by Frances Morgan on violin, the music has both stepped up to another level and kept its unpredictability. ' Wish For A World Without Hurt' is based on the events of 9/11/and the feel of the tragedy in the air is definitely present. 'Declaration Of Loss', a track from the album, makes you feel as if you were right in the middle of it all. Organ drones in the background and Mark's and Michael Donnelly's bass guitars stand out with their clear and smooth sound. As the last tones of the music disappear the band are awarded with huge applause from the audience, many of whom clearly want to hear more tunes. We will have to look forward to the next time though Tonight was clearly special. I would even say a work of art in every sense. Kelman's Set List : Some Things Never Work Out Untitled These Days Shut A Final Door A New Career In A New Town Rothko's Set List : On The Day We Said Goodbye This Lake Of Hope Treasure Of Memories Truth Burns Declaration Of Loss Bloodtied The three photographs that accompany this article of Rothko were all taken by Matthew Williams

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