GIG REVIEW – Eye Licker, Morvo @ The North, Rhyl
Fresh from the recent Easter alldayer at The Pot, Manchester’s Eye Licker make the precarious mid-week journey back into the Badland that is Rhyl. Unfortunately for the bands tonight, their chosen date is sandwiched in a month of heavy gigging so only the hardcore of our posse had the stamina to venture out after doing their homework. Fortunately for we – the Hard Core – both bands were on top form and bursting with punk rock goodness.
With Eye Licker as the main course, the starter was Conwy’s Morvo, who on reflection of those who’ve seen them a few times, say they improve every time. That said, they were good the first time! That early Killing Joke style of drums and chugs, hacked to bits with hard metal riffs and insanity bass guitar. Throw onto this inferno some shared shouting from three throats that all sound the same, making it triple-trouble and compelling to listen to. In fact Eye Licker’s Paul Kielty said, ‘Fantastic show from these boys last night! Heart pounding riffs and awesome drum timing. Anyone not checked this band out yet is missing out.’
These are my sentiments exactly, and their debut EP ‘Motorviolence‘ is perhaps the most descriptive title a band has ever come up with.
So this main dish is best served raw. Eye Licker (top pic) lure you in with the instrumental Choking Hazard before they launch themselves at you, beating you senseless with rasping tunes like Russian Roulette, Clockwork Zombies and a chunk of stuff off their utterly outstanding new album ‘Once More Into The Rabbit Hole‘. Kielty provides uncompromising vocals, pounding the stage, telling you he never fitted in at school and was bullied (you wouldn’t fuck with him now!) before they smash into Don’t Fit In – it’s true scream o’clock and high time you search out Eye Licker, prepare to be destroyed.