T on the Fringe: Lambchop @ The Liquid Room

Lambchop at The Liquid Rooms may prove to be the best gig of The Fringe '06. To come up with words to describe the sounds generated by the recently swelled ranks of this venerated Nashville institution would be futile. They ticked all the boxes, pressed all the buttons, and sounded a bit like somebody hammering a nail on the head. Each note was deliberate and each sound calculated, not a chord squandered or disheveled. But then, that was what we expected.

The electricity of the atmosphere, fervour of Kurt Wagner's vocals, and excellent choice of setlist ensured that nobody went home disappointed. To label this as 'alt-country' would be an act of malpractice. The set contained more soul than a roomful of Marvins, and was as blue as a naval tattoo. Not that it was all grey and gloomy. Wagner's delivery was immaculate. The exemplary sound system conveyed the emotion that he was at times spitting out from the back of his throat effortlessly, and when the music is of such a calibre, it's difficult to feel anything but bliss. The only qualm with this performance was the timing. Placed in the first few days of the Festival leaves the ensuing musicians with one hell of an act to follow.