Roman Remains opened the show for Big Black Delta and Gary Numan at Mercy Lounge on Monday, March 17th. Liela Moss and Toby Butler of Roman Remains are probably better known for their London band The Duke Spirit. Their synth-punk sound was a nice introduction to what turned out to be quite a goth night at Mercy Lounge. The audience was filled with an interesting mix of people of all ages wearing mostly black, combat boots and dark eyeliner. These people apparently don’t surface during the day because I never even knew that a goth scene existed in Nashville. It was sort of like stepping back in time and entering The Mercury in Knoxville back in 1997. Break out the whip and leather coat and let’s go!
Roman Remains’ rather short set was probably my favorite of the three bands that night. Moss’ voice and appearance was strong, sexy and mesmerizing. Their sound reminded a bit of a darker version of Portishead. Their new album Zeal was released in early March and is a nice musical reflection of the type of live show they deliver.
Big Black Delta from LA followed with a very loud set and the bass turned up so high that you could feel your brain vibrate. Needless to say, my hearing was shot for a day. Lead singer Jonathan Bates’ voice was quite lovely, but I kept wondering how he was able to breathe with his shirt buttoned up all the way to the top. I had this urge to just hug him and tell him to please unbutton that top button. I understand that nobody understood you in high school, which is why you’re filled with so much angst, but honey it’s okay to let loose.
Speaking of letting loose – nobody in the audience was dancing. Not even when Gary Numan (probably best known for his 1979 hit “Cars”) started playing. And he delivered a rather fantastic set. You couldn’t even get a fist-pump out of these people. Their faces reflected pure enjoyment, but their body language was…well, a mystery. They had perfected the art of fitting into the unfit crowd.
