Health: "We view things extremely unrealistically and I
think that has worked in our favour." Photo supplied.
Utilising noise-scapes, flow-charts and a punk rock
ethos, Los Angeles band Health has turned self-delusion to its
advantage, writes Shane Gilchrist.
Health, the headlining act on the University of
Otago's Orientation programme, may take its music seriously,
but that's about as far as the earnestness extends.
Bass player John Famiglietti, Jake Duzsic (vocals, guitar),
Jupiter Keyes (guitar) and Benjamin Miller (drums) clearly
enjoy a prank or two.
Take a look at their MySpace page; halfway down is an address
to which fans can send mail.
The problem is, the details feature a London postcode.
The intended recipient? Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr.
There is also a video blog, titled "We are not afraid of
you", in which Famiglietti and company brandish swords and
attack copies of Lord Of the Rings DVDs to a
soundtrack largely comprising didgeridoo.
It has something to do with the group's tour to Australia and
New Zealand, which includes a performance in the University
of Otago's Main Common Room tomorrow night.
Famiglietti is on the phone from Los Angles, where the band
has just returned following a couple of cold weeks in Canada.
He's looking forward to his first visit to New Zealand, wants
to visit the "black beach" near Auckland, "swimming with
dolphins", etc, etc.
He's also relishing the prospect of stripping a bit of paint
off the walls of various venues.
Be warned: Health likes its music loud.
It also likes its music warped, blitzed by an array of
effects, from distortion to delay (and all points in
between).
Those keen on ballads best stay away: Health might do
stripped-back on occasion, but you won't find an acoustic
guitar in sight.
As for vocals? Merely another flavour in the sonic soup.
That's not to say the group doesn't enjoy a dose of rock
riffery; it just doesn't play by those rules.
"We came from that background and it informed a lot of things
we do, but we have gone to great lengths to avoid what we
like about that music, what makes that music work, to be
non-referential," Famiglietti says.
"Jake and I both grew up on punk rock.
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