the (International) Noise Conspiracy, Bluetip, Karate & Union of the Dead

The (International) Noise Conspiracy tore through the West Coast recently on the last legs of their North American invasion, making welcome stops in Chico and Sacramento. If you didn't experience their live show I feel sorry for you.

The Brick Works show started on time with Chico's own Union of the Dead. They kicked off the night with their "whoa-oh" jam, "Living for the Night." Drummer Frederico Telles began his furious assault on his drum set and sent a cymbal crashing to the floor. Luckily their drum tech ran on stage and remedied the problem. Guitarist Gerardo Wackenhut and frontman Cliff Greenwood put on their usual stellar performances. Unfortunately, after blasting through a few more kick-ass punk rock 'n' roll hits, the "Telles-ster" ripped his snare and the set was cut short.

Washington D.C.'s Blue Tip, who sound absolutely nothing like a punk combination of Weezer and Rage Against the Machine, opened for TINC both nights. The band played songs of its new album, Polymer, to an indifferent crowd in Chico, possibly due to the rumor that the band wouldn't lend UOD a snare. Their set was very tight though. Blue Tip is a post-punk band that definitely has a recognizable D.C. sound in the vein of Jawbox and Fugazi. Lead singer/guitarist Jason Farrell scream-sang impassioned lyrics. He stormed off the stage and crawled into a pit that formed when a piece of the stage broke on their last song.

TINC say they are a collective, not a band, and that not one of them is more important than the other. This collectivism comes across on stage. Each member is perfect for the band, all equally amazing performers. They came out in matching, brown pinstriped suits and began working the crowd immediately.

Singer Dennis Lyxzen had his microphone moves mastered on the The Brick Works' stage, tossing it to the ceiling and out to the crowd and drew it back in time to belt out his lyrics. Lyxzen worked the room, climbing the PA speakers to the balcony and singing anguished lyrics while sprawled on the balcony ledge. Bassist Inge Johansson went absolutely insane from the first note he hit to the end of their set. Sara Almgren pounded away on her organ and banged away on her guitar, machine-like. Guitarist Lars Strömberg looked as though he been imported via time-machine from 1960s England to play in this band. Strömberg climbed onto the ledge behind the stage and danced throughout the set. Keeping the beat and getting the women dancing was baby-faced drummer Ludwig Dahlberg.

At The Capitol Garage the next night the band was explosive once again. Cramped onto a small stage in the packed coffeehouse (because the original venue, Bojangles, burned down), TINC managed to give a forceful performance once again. Lyxzen climbed to the balcony and on top of refrigerators during songs. Johansson played bass and danced in the crowd during "I Wanna Know About You."

The combination of Lyxzen's political ranting and TINC's soul-inspired music was at its peak both nights in the introduction to "Smash It Up," the band’s first single off Survival Sickness. He pointed out the fact that only 40 percent of eligible voters actually cast votes this election. "That means that only 20 percent actually want George Bush as their president. That means that 80 percent of American doesn't want George Bush as their president." The music built into a frenzy as Lyxzen offered a solution to the flawed system. "We Swedes have a solution. Smash. . . It . . . Up!" The crowd joined him in this chant. Just as I thought Molotov cocktails were about to start flying through the windows of buildings in California, the funky bass line and shmaa-shmaa keyboard chords of "Smash It Up" came blasting in.

TINC is safely back in Sweden by now, but the buzz about their live performance has far from died down here in the States. Good luck getting tickets the next time they come around.

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