Chimp Spanner Review Live From The Purple Turtle Camden April 21st 2011: The Tech Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself Tour

When you have an instrumental collection constructed as well as an album like Chimp Spanners' At The Dreams' Edge, you often wonder how it would translate into live performance. Sometimes music of this time is fantastic live, and other times it can fall a little bit flat. Add into the equation that Chimp Spanner up until now has been one (genius) man, Paul Antonio Ortiz, and it adds another element of uncertainty to how the music will come across on the first Chimp Spanner tour. Will the musicians Paul has assembled be able to pull it off, and to gel and seem like a real band? I went along to the Purple Turtle in Camden for the London Stop of the "Tech Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself" tour to find out.

Myself and my friends had only gone to the show specifically to see Chimp Spanner, so when we arrived the previous band (who I think were Cyclamen) were halfway through. Musically, they had a great sound but the vocals really let them down, though to be fair to the singer the sound on the microphone was bloody awful so that probably isn't doing him justice. If I get another chance I'll check them out again somewhere down the line as their music had promise.

After the obligatory short recess, it was time to see how Chimp Spanner the band would work. The answer is very well indeed. Paul Ortiz seemed to be having a whale of a time and he and his colleagues ripped through top Chimp songs such as The Mirror and Bad Code sounding about as sonically perfect and like the album as possible. Chimp Spanner music is quite atmospheric on CD and lost none of its impact in a live setting as it seemed to draw the crowds attention in further with every passing song. People watching with polite applause at the beginning was replaced by the end of the set with the majority of the venue getting into some serious headbanging with every trademark substantial riff that came through the speakers.

Along with the aforementioned songs, personal highlights for me were the fantastically named Harvey Wallbanger and Under One Sky, each song building on the last to provide a thoroughly fantastic live experience (especially for £6, approx $10 for any US readers).

Overall, it far exceeded my expectations. You are never quite sure with some instrumental acts if they will be able to transpose the aura and atmosphere of their music to the live stage but for Chimp Spanner it was seemingly effortless. Not bad for a band who according to their one man creative genius were never supposed to be a live act. If there is a follow up tour, do anything you have to to make sure you catch Chimp Spanner live, not to be missed.