Dynamic British duo Fuck Buttons hit Montreal’s Il Motore, an intimate venue ready to be rumbled by Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power’s earth-shattering dynamic experimental musical mix on Tuesday, May 20th.
Having made the big time with much excitement in the musical press in 2007, Fuck Buttons really hit the big time with much critical acclaim is 2008’s Street Horrrsing (QRO review), released on one of the strongest independent labels, ATP, which has also brought them many gigs at the renowned festivals – Fuck Buttons are due to play at ATP New York 2010 (QRO Festival Guide). With such a huge excitement following them, this was no to be kept a secret of the British Isles for long, and although Fuck Buttons’ show in Montreal was significantly smaller than they would play in their homeland’s capital, London (QRO review there), it was still a mesmerizing event, showcasing what these two men are best at.
Fuck Buttons presented themselves with earth-shattering beats and noise, playing a range of tracks from their debut Street Horrrsing and last year’s follow-up, Tarot Sport. An amalgamation of their material presented heavy on the ears – earth shattering, yes, as well as ear shattering. Both Power and Hung seemed to be enjoying mixing as ever, as well as the use of an old Fisher Price karaoke machine, despite any lyrics being inaudible, and single drum for certain tracks – but it was the knowing glances and exchange of prompts between these two men which affirmed an long established tightness with translated into to a live mastering of Fuck Buttons material.
This was much to the delight of the crowd, some who had been waiting eagerly at the frontiers of the small stage since the early hours of the evening, enthusiastic and appetent not to lose their spots. When Fuck Buttons did make it onto the stage, this excited the crowd, who it seemed had been waiting a lifetime to see the duo in action. With heads bobbing and bodies swaying, the addition screams and yells of excitement were drowned out by the intensity of the music. It is clear that the band feel it too, with Hung at times breaking out into a native Indian-like hop, others in a frantic gypsy-like dance, other times just staring out into the crowd and soaking it in. As for Power, his appearance was, and is, typically aloof, with a baseball cap covering his eyes, but with every movement came precision and purpose, which speaks for itself. Between them, a strangely enchanting dissonance captured the crowd, but not by any mistake, but through a carefully crafted mélange of sounds, beats, and noise. Experimental? Only in the loosest terms in this case.
Perhaps this is where the success of Fuck Buttons comes from. Fuck Buttons aren’t just your run-of-the-mill experimental band who bung in every noise possible to fit the bill, but are two men who appreciate the more dynamic, carefully crafted elements in music and capture this to create a hard-hitting sound, which seems so elementary. In reality, it is really something special and hard to capture, and despite the endless number of bands who attempt to capture similar sounds, Fuck Buttons are only one of the few to get it pretty damned spot on; its clear to see what the rage is about.
