Davila 666 - Babylon, Ottawa, 14/4/2011

by Andrew Carver

published: 23 / 4 / 2011

Andrew Carver enjoys a triple bill of garage rock from Davila 666, the Bare Wires and the White Wires at Babylon in Ottawa

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Ottawa’s the White Wires, San Francisco’s the Bare Wires and Puerto Rico’s Davila 666 aren’t just fellow travellers in the world of catchy pop-influenced garage rock; they all seem to be enjoying simultaneous critical success, and there was a good-sized crowd ready and waiting when the three acts made a stop at Ottawa’s Babylon nightclub. The hometown trio, back on their own turf after a spate of SXSW-related touring behind the release of their sophomore album ‘WWII’ (on Dirtnap), kept their set short, lopping a few tracks from a 12-song setlist to make way for the other two acts. Although the tour had been billed with the Bare Wires as the headliners (there’s something of a connection between the fuzzier side of Ottawa and San Francisco’s music scenes), they went on second, immediately launching into a non-stop onslaught of distorted space-rock. Frontman Matthew Melton also fronts Snake Flower 2, a band more indebted to loud space-rock than the poppier Bare Wires, and a bit of his other outfit must have bleed through. Swathed in red lighting, the California combo were also an active stage presence, with remarkably gangly bassist Fletcher Johnson in non-stop-motion, even launching himself into the crowd at one point. Davila 666 finished things off with a lively set. While the band sings in Spanish - barring a cover of ‘Hanging On the Telephone’ (made famous by Blondie) - their knack for taking a hook and wrapping it in a twin-guitar rock attack quickly won the crowd over. While their latest album ‘Tan Bajo’ has some of that reverbed sound that can across as a bit tinny, live their already catchy songs enjoyed an extra oomph. Unfortunately their full-time maraca shaker Panda Davila seemed a little subdued ... but it was his birthday and by the time the band hit the stage past midnight, previous celebrating might have begun to take its toll. A work night also meant some of their audience started creeping off to be mid-set, but the several dozen who remained happily shook along to the band’s hook-laden sound.