Words & Photos by Shirin Hodgson-Watt
While I’d been aware of T.A.Y.N. since their fairly recent inception, I had never actually seen them live before this evening, and so I was looking forward to this show immensely. Instantly noticeable is their crisp cohesion, which is attention-grabbing enough for such a new entity, and even compared to some of the still very recent early taster video clips they have clearly blossomed markedly in confidence and presence. Front woman Lucian is a powerful focal point, looking comfortable and enviably at ease as she prowls centre stage, her vocals already showing a dramatic leap forward in terms of strength and control. This was something that was apparent right from the soundcheck on, and while visually she dominates, her powerful aura never overshadows the accessibly melodic-yet-menacing wash of funkily underpinned sweetly snarling hooky beasts that flow enticingly from the capable hands of the band around her.
With the hummable single ‘Living My Life’ newly unleashed, T.A.Y.N. are plainly not dithering about here, and having already played with county titans King Creature, they look to be fully worthy of your very best non-creepy stalking efforts. Cornwall does indeed do it yet again.
Cybernetic Witch Cult just don’t ever disappoint. Instantly launching into their trademark monster-sized slabs of dinosaur-infused space-stoner-doom-prog rock monoliths, it’s a bludgeoning of the most blissful kind. They manage to be sheer delicious fun, while remaining as technically complex and sewn-up tight as the songs demand, pummelling this little Liskeard pub into submission, Thursday night be damned. That they were joined by a regular with a reminiscently prehistoric mastiff-esque hound that, without unnecessary ceremony, silently required T.A.Y.N.’s bassist to remove his gear from ‘the dog’s bed’ (or, sofa, to mere humans) seemed wholly appropriate, embodying in all her impassive glory as she did their similarly immovable, timeless hulk and bulk.
Granite-hewn dogs and pulverising songs about whales (‘not Wales’); a peculiar and eccentric match made in stone age outer space heaven.
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