All Tomorrow’s Parties, Day Two: Lightning Bolt Puts Lightning Bolt in a Corner; Shellac Deny the Existence of God

Photo: Jason Bergman

Saturday at ATP was all about smaller-name bands – smaller names than Sunday’s headliners, at least. When noise-punk duo Lightning Bolt went on around 12:3O in the morning, they set up, as is their custom, on the floor near a corner of the main room. Unless you were among the sweaty throng pressed up to the band, it was damn-near impossible to see what was going on. But hearing Lightning Bolt was no problem: Drummer Brian Chippendale drove the bus with the pedal to the floor and sometimes crashed the shit; he also sang eerie, high-pitched tunes while bassist Brian Gibson matched his speedy, twisting assault. It was complex, entrancing stuff, and it seemed to entertain My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields, who looked on intently. Earlier in the evening, several bands drew devoted, if not terribly big, crowds: Shellac, a Chicago trio featuring producer Steve Albini, turned out spiky minimalist rock and took questions from the audience -- sample query: “Does God suck?” Bassist Bob Gibson’s reply: “There is no God” – and Bristol, England duo Fuck Buttons pumped out trancey electro-noise and tossed in some heavily-distorted vocals that sounded like ululating. -- CHRISTIAN HOARD