Dinosaur Jr Spark Freak Scenes At The Forum!

2:50 PM GMT 10/06/2009

A CRUSHING SHOW that proved the continuing vitality of their reconvened vintage line-up, Dinosaur Jr's return to North London's Forum - still The Town & Country Club in the eyes of many of last night's attendees - rolled back the years to 1988, when Nevermind was still a gleam in Kurt Donald Cobain's eye and indie discos lurched to the scorching sound of Dinosaur Jr's Freak Scene.

Their setlist drew in crowd-pleasing fashion from the first three albums, though it was also good to see bassist Lou Barlow - who had already left to concentrate on Sebadoh when Dinosaur Jr secured their major label deal - put his back into Warners-era nuggets like Out There and Feel The Pain.

Tracks off the reformed line-up's recent records - Beyond and Farm - held their own, a consistent theme provided by the epic punkfolkmetal guitar catechisms issued by mainman J. Mascis's Fender Jazzmasters.

The band bade farewell with their cover of Last Rights' Boston hardcore nugget, Chunks, and - despite murmurings that this could easily have been the last time the volatile unit played these shores - said they'd be back again later this year.

In a heart-warming tribute, Lou Barlow explained and that they were playing this one-off show because "MOJO is our favourite rock magazine". His effusiveness offset the familiar Trappist vibes of mainman J. Mascis - memorably described by MOJO's Stevie Chick as "resembling a greying Nana Mouskouri playing in a vast cave composed entirely of Marshall stacks".

Support was from Clinic - soldiering on despite the loss of lead singer Ade Blackburn, who wasn't well - and Dino favourites Hush Arbors.

Picture by: Simon Fernandez

Posted by Danny_Eccleston at 2:50 PM GMT 10/06/2009

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