These Arms Are Snakes

Islington Academy, London -

by Laila Hassani

Snakes strangle the Pelicans with visceral intensity

"Neither the band nor the crowd can get enough. And that’s what fuels TAAS, raw energy, tension and the pure adrenaline rush of off-kilter rock ‘n’ roll. "

We’ve been lucky of late. Seattle’s These Arms Are Snakes have really been showing us the love; this is the third time they’ve been over here and judging from tonight’s show, neither the band nor the crowd can get enough. That’s what fuels TAAS, raw energy, tension and the pure headrush of off-kilter rock ‘n’ roll.

Singer Steve Snere wastes no time in getting the show on the road. As the band ram-raid their way through newer tracks like ‘Horse Girl’ and ‘Mescaline Eyes’ (from their latest album ‘Easter’), Snere is the car-crash focal point of the band. He flings himself around the confined stage as if he were in a wide open space, leaping, thrashing and gyrating against his bandmates. He flirts with the front row, he tugs at his trousers and is an all-round disturbing, yet fascinating sight.

Most of all, he lives up to his name, sneering and spitting the vitriolic lyrics like they’re poison on his tongue. The guitars are savage and yet somehow danceable because the music is all based on vicious grooves; TAAS are carrying on the bloodline where At The Drive In left off. Slowly but surely, people’s eyes are being opened to this and it won’t be long before TAAS can command bigger audiences than either this show or their recent Underworld headline spot.

By the time headliners Pelican demand your attention with their slow-building, instrumental epics, it’s too late. TAAS have been like an adrenaline shot to the heart and though Pelican are masters at what they do on record, it is all a little too controlled live; a little too reserved and contained. Until, that is, the whole of TAAS join them for the encore (see YouTube link below), a blistering break out that proves that TAAS are the true victors tonight.

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