STAER Live in Plovdiv

This past Saturday (October 25^th, 2014) was the second time I’ve seen STAER live. The gig was held in the main rehearsal room of a local children’s theatre. Treats, wine, and juice were kindly provided by the promoter, as well as the most delicious freshly homemade plum cake (many thanks to Magi!).

I got to the venue just in time to catch the band finishing up their sound-check, and to see Gaute Granli prepare for his opening set. Using the STAER drum-kit, Gaute recorded loops which he then added effects to and pitch-shifted, to create the basis for his otherwordly guitar work during the opener. You can check out some of his solo stuff here as well as one of the other projects he’s in, Freddy the Dyke, here.

STAER is a bulldozer of sound best experienced live. In essence: It will rock the living angels out and leave you shivering alone in the cold, questioning any noble (err, musical) notion you ever believed in or had, mouth agape, legs trembling, mind weary, ears bursting with hiss. In essence (2): It will be one of the harshest, most memorable gigs you’ll ever experience.

The band’s drummer uses alternate time signatures, like 7/8, and this, together with the hypnotically repetitive layered sounds coming from the bassist and rhythm guitarist, caused everybody in the audience to careen funkily. The beauty of it all comes from the blood-churning primal elements finely mixed with the nauseatingly crushing futuristic.

Last year this band changed my outlook on music in general, I’m pleased to have been able to see them again. If they’re ever playing a town near you, or even better, your town: get dressed, listen to some of their music online, locate your best earplugs, and go see this awesome band.

You can thank them later.

Words by Ilko Birov