STEVE ALBINI must rank as one of the most significant figures in rock music over the last 30 years. Through his own bands like Big Black and in his production work he has shaped and brought to life countless important alternative music albums.
Albini’s band Shellac are coming to Galway to play the Róisín Dubh on Monday October 27 at 9pm. Shellac’s line-up includes Bob Weston (bass guitar/vocals ) and Todd Trainer (drums/vocals ). The trio have been labelled as noise rock and suffered the indignity of having the incredibly stupid term ‘math rock’ applied to them. The band prefer the more dignified ‘minimalist rock trio’.
Albini first came to prominence as a member of punk/hardccore band Big Black in the 1980s. The group’s 1987 album Songs About F*****g has been rated by both Mojo and Pitchfork as one of the finest of its genre.
A celebrated producer, Albini has also overseen such iconic albums as the Pixies’ Surfer Rosa, The Breeders’ Pod, Nirvana’s In Utero, The Auters’ After Murder Park, and work by Co Galway born singer-songwriter Adrian Crowley.
Albini formed a second group Rapeman, before creating Shellac with Todd Trainer in 1992. The band’s distinctive, minimalist sound is based on unusual and urgent time signature, repetitive heavy rhythms, angular guitar sound, and Albini’s surreal, sarcastic lyrics. Their songs generally do not have traditional verse/chorus/verse structure and the arrangements are sparse.
When it comes to recording their music, Albini likes a sparse, analogue recording, sound with little or no overdubbing, and is meticulous about microphone placement and choice of equipment.
For the majority of bands, touring is essential to promoting the music or for financial gain, but for Shellac it’s a great way to get some time off from the day jobs. Both Albini and Weston are recording engineers while Trainer tends bar in Minneapolis. They also see live work as a chance to have some real interaction with the fans and often stage a ‘question and answer’ session mid-set, where members of the band respond in an off-the-cuff and at times jocular manner to questions shouted out by fans and hecklers alike.
Tickets are available from the Róisín Dubh and Zhivago.
