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Despite my pronounced indifference to MR. BUNGLE (chalk that up to my non-belief in MIKE PATTON as genius), tonight marks the second time in less than two weeks where I am witness to the musical talents of a former band member (the other being TREVOR DUNN who participated as MELVINS‘ bass player). I’d heard of SECRET CHIEFS 3 mainly due to viola player EYVIND KANG‘s contributions, but though tonight he was not part of the band, it was clearly a talented group on the creaky wooden floor boards of the stage, with ex-Bunglers TREY SPRUANCE and drummer DANNY HEIFETZ leading the charge.
Initially taking the stage dressed like CIA operatives in suits, ties and mirrored sunglasses (Trey rocked the fez), the five-strong ensemble head straight into the rip curl of a jagged surf rock set, with twin strats twanging and kickin out low-end string riffs that would put a smile on DICK DALE‘s weathered face. Another aspect to SC3’s work is their take on cinematic soundscapes; one could guess that Trey was looking over ALAN BISHOP‘s shoulder at his notes taken during the Morricone’s lectures on how to write a soundtrack, and the reading of “Book T: Exodus” was utterly gorgeous. A scant twenty minutes into the set, the men depart and several minutes pass. I think it’s a strange way to take out all the momentum built so far, but apparently it takes a while to change from suits to robes, and soon hooded figures marched back onto the stage. Shrouded in black tunics, the band then took on the way of the Dervish, with Trey wielding a saz and throwing Indo-Persian melodies through the air on personalized flying carpets, a violin sawing madly in the swirl. Additional undercurrents of SUN CITY GIRLS were palpable, and on “Vajra” the riffs were highly reminsicent of THINKING FELLERS UNION LOCAL 282, a legendary and under-appreciated band if there ever was one. The stop/start rhythms of “The 3” kept Heifetz at the top of his game, and he never faltered. Great set; highly musical and fearless stuff.
KAYO DOT had already started to play when I got in, and they showed some unusual permutations of instruments and modes, with clanging metal, full brass, violin and doom-like guitar dirges all taking equal space amongst their compositions. Perhaps a helpful starting point would be later-era TORTOISE with a SUNN O))) fixations. Leader TOBY DRIVER would also pull double-duty, playing bass with Secret Chiefs 3.
