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The Blood Brothers / the Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower

live in Pittsburgh (2005)
Sony Music Entertainment

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Contributed by: Brian
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on May 17th 2005

Even after managing to get out of work an hour and a half early, we missed Big Business.

The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower played next. Their set can be summed up in several words; amongst them: spazzy, chaotic, sassy, noisy, and sexually deprived. If he wasn't wailing off-beat notes on a saxophone, lead singer Brandon Welchez was doing anything and everything it took to get himself off on stage. At least, that's what it seemed like, with a handful (pun perhaps intended) of crotch grabbing and mike thrusting. But amongst those antics was some noisy, arty hardcore with a guitar tone similar to the band they were opening for. Welchez, as well as the guitarist and bassist, all used the faux-Brit sonances of their voices to add a level of class to the course of their chaos. Presumably scattered amongst their set was several tracks from Love In The Fascist Brothel, released earlier this year. It was a sort of fitting irony for the band in that for a sound so thrown together (yet working) and seemingly intent on destroying everything in its path - and, try picturing this jazzy, wailing saxophone on top of that - as well as near-sexual deviation, that they were playing in a converted church. It was an enjoyable set for someone whose style seems better conveyed live than on record.

Though their set depended heavily on Crimes, a much refocused and thus bombast-ready Blood Brothers took to the stage shortly after. The band seemed entirely more together than the last I'd seen them , and kept up their intensity and drive throughout the duration of the set. The usual 1-2 punch of "Trash Flavored Trash" and "Beautiful Horses" opened things up, following in no particular order "Birth Skin / Death Leather," "Ambulance Vs. Ambulance" (perhaps the set highlight), "Cecilia And The Silhouette Saloon," "Feed Me To The Forest," "Love Rhymes With Hideous Car Wreck," "Peacock Skeleton With Crooked Fingers," "Rats And Rats And Rats For Candy," "Crimes," and "Live At The Apocalypse Cabaret." There may have been one or two missing from Crimes and its preceding full-length but without a set list in sight my memory is the only thing assisting me. They had roughly the entire crowd moving, yelling and/or clapping at all the appropriate points during the entire set. They received the usual chants after leaving the stage to a still-dimly lit room, and returned with a couplet of tracks from Burn, Piano Island, Burn. Upon the finish of "The Salesman, Denver Max," they capped off the night with "Guitarmy." I, as well as others likely, expected "Fucking's Greatest Hits" to finish a trilogy, but the finish was there and subsequently abrupt. Despite the surprise it was an interesting way to go out. Even with every little thing the band has going on in each song, they executed it perfectly, and I've yet to see the band play a bad or even mediocre set.

If you don't mind a set chock full of newer material and could go for some openers (well, opener, in my case) in a relatively similar coating, the tour, which has just under a month left, should serve you well.

Pictures from the show, by Meg Reinecker

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Anonymous (May 23, 2005)

I just saw The Plot the other day- worst band ever.

I can't believe I actually paid to see this show.

tristan (May 23, 2005)

The Bloods didn't do "Under Pressure" in Toronto, but the show was still absolutely off the hook. They still filled the room with Bright Eyes and The Faint in town the same night - which left the crowd pretty barren of indie types. I imagine that's a lot like what being at a haircut convention feels like. Anyway, that explains their no knowing what to do with the Plot. Too bad, because they were the best band of the night.

Anonymous (May 20, 2005)

where is the love for the Blood Brothers, that shit is really good, while you can cop out with the standard oh there old stuff is better, and while Burn Piano Island is better than Crimes, What the Fuck? this band is still amazing, they take it to everyone

ubershep (May 19, 2005)

He was working the door.

Archangel (May 18, 2005)

SkolarX -- You went to see AFI and The Blood Brothers were too flamboyant for you? Davey Havok takes estrogen to keep his voice high, man.

wrongstring (May 18, 2005)

"This Plot band interests me, can anyone recommend a starting point? Saxophones rule and James Chance owns you all."

Dissertation, Honey is a good album, though Fascist Brothel is very well done also, its more cohesive and has less Jazz/Jam filler. Both are very good. Dissertation is like dipping your toes in, whereas Fascist Brothel is like jumping in head first.

The Plot members are also very nice and for all their stage antics at least they aren't standing there trying to look cool. the great thing about them is that they separate the homophobes from the true music fans and make the gay bashers very uncomfortable, which is always a plus! especially if you consider the tenents of punk philosophy. they're definitely not for uber jocks or bro-bras that bang lots of 'chicks' and folks who only speak 'dude'

Sally_Field (May 18, 2005)

""Crimes doesn't do it for me."

Thank God for the Starting Line then, eh?"

Comment of the year.

LOL YEAH!!!
Good thing, huh

Anonymous (May 18, 2005)

Ah, Blood Brothers...
March on Electric Children blew us away when it came out. It was that kind of border-line hardcore that we usually hated, but it was much more... exciting. I fell in love with that album in spite of myself. Burn Piano Island Burn was okay, but I could tell it was all downhill from there. Crimes felt like a commercially poised album... BB lost their fangs by then, but... what can 'ya do? March On[...] was good enough to justify their entire career.

SkolarX (May 18, 2005)

for a long time i hated the blood brothers. i saw them open for cadillac blindside and thought they were overly fruity. i saw them a few more times, opening for afi, headlining in the shelter (i was working the door) and so on and thought the same. finally i sat down and listened to the last record and i loved it. same with crimes (though i thought that one was maybe not abrasive enough i think is what i want to say), but i still don't think i could sit and watch the singers. straight or gay i could care less but i hate watching someone dance around like their underwear is too tight or they have to pee. its more annoying than anything.

Anonymous (May 18, 2005)

trust me, there's no homophobia going on here, i'm just saying that it was pretty ballsy for PLOT to be so.....gay. i was impressed. musically, though, i've never been too won over by them.

and yeah, there were definitely dudes taking their clothes off. if i wasn't so embarrassed of my gut, i would have joined in.

Archangel (May 17, 2005)

""Crimes doesn't do it for me."

Thank God for the Starting Line then, eh?"

Comment of the year.

mikeshitter (May 17, 2005)

"Crimes doesn't do it for me."

Thank God for the Starting Line then, eh?

Anonymous (May 17, 2005)

Crims is awesome. It is somehow both there most and least accesible album consisting of equal parts melody and the complete anti-thesis of what a melody should be.

On that note.

I saw this show in Tempe, AZ except Dance Disaster Movement was ther einstead of The Plot. DDM fucking sucks. Bad. Dance music you cant dance to, yuck. Big Business is awesome, but the middle school kids were not eating it up because, as one stated, "he sings like weird AL". Amazing drummer though. The BB rocked me big time, and they opened with "Cecillia" and played pretty much the exact setlist mentioned above....but we got "March on electric children" instead of "birthskin/deathleather". When they played "Ambulance vs. Ambulance" they told us that they hadnt played the song in a year, and even had a piece of cardboard with all the lyrics scribbled down on it! That song also happened to be the sets highlight. And the encore of "Guitarmy" and "Under Presure" slayed as well.

Cody also red some Danielle Steele poetry...hehehe

So good.

-!GreenVandal!

bloodbrothersburnpiano (May 17, 2005)

yeah i'm not a huge fan of crimes either actually.

frannymcfanny (May 17, 2005)

The Under Pressure cover in cleveland was the best part of the blood brothers effing set.
david bowie is amazing and that cover was awesome.
yeah..
Crime is the worst album of the year fo sho!

Sally_Field (May 17, 2005)

Crimes doesn't do it for me.

punkcorekid (May 17, 2005)

i love the plot and the blood brothers more than can be said in typed words.

i'm sorry. i'm interested in hearing Plot, but i doubt i'll like em that much. old blood brothers is good if i'm in the mood. new blood brothers is straight shit.

bloodbrothersburnpiano (May 17, 2005)

as far as the homophobia down there, some members of the plot actually are openly gay. if you've got a problem with that, then you suck.

i'll be going to show indy, i love the plot and the blood brothers more than can be said in typed words.

Anonymous (May 17, 2005)

the cleveland show was pretty good, but the guitar sounded empty at so many points. and they didnt play jennifer. other than that it was good.

Anonymous (May 17, 2005)

"PLOT is one of the gayest bands i've ever seen. like, literally. the singer was telling dudes to take their clothes off, and then he was peeking inside all their underpants. i wasn't offended or anything, i was just like, "wow, this guy's really going for it.""

um...you mean dudes actually started taking their clothes off?

this is too gay...i dont care about gay marriage...but this sort of grab ass should be outlawed

- eddy

Anchors (May 17, 2005)

Cursive/Blood Brothers remains one of the best shows I've seen to this day. Hamilton College, October 2003 for anyone else who happened to be there.

On the Might of Princes was supposed to play also, but that hurricane that came up to Long Island fucked me over on that deal. Weak.

Anonymous (May 17, 2005)

PLOT is one of the gayest bands i've ever seen. like, literally. the singer was telling dudes to take their clothes off, and then he was peeking inside all their underpants. i wasn't offended or anything, i was just like, "wow, this guy's really going for it."

Anonymous (May 17, 2005)

They wouldn't let me in because I wasn't wearing girl pants and chose to wear a Pirates hat instead of some hip haircut.

- Kirby

ghostmonkey (May 17, 2005)

Plot To Blow Up... - their lp is fucking awesome. Not too keen on the new Blood Brothers stuff tho.

Anonymous (May 17, 2005)

Yeah pittsburgh!!!!

mjg (May 17, 2005)

rva soon

Anonymous (May 17, 2005)

In Cleveland, the encore of Under Pressure owned my life. Who else got this?

Anonymous (May 17, 2005)

This Plot band interests me, can anyone recommend a starting point? Saxophones rule and James Chance owns you all.

Ollywood (May 17, 2005)

"this show was amazing. first time i ever saw the blood brothers, and it wont be the last"
you dont know that they can just like drop dead or something

-Oli

Kenjamin (May 17, 2005)

check out lightning bolt and anton bordman.

aubin (May 17, 2005)

We need to get a review up for Love in the Fascist Brothel. That record is awesome. I imagine this bill would have killed.

Anonymous (May 17, 2005)

i meant to say haven't. but fuck it

Anonymous (May 17, 2005)

seeing this tour in DC and Richmond on consecutive days.

have seen plot yet

stevejonestherealbones (May 17, 2005)

you wanna know whats chump change? dfa and big buisiness when compared with 400 blows...that fucking wall of sound is made from just a guitar and drums (sure they have a separate singer..but whatever)

- jonesy the a bonesy

- stevejones8770@yahoo.com

- i'm lying though...i actually really like all three and would never consider any chump change compared to each other...i just wanted to name drop and show you losers how cool i am

- go buy the new 400 blows and be prepared to be knocked away

- hahaha..you thought i was going to be cheesy and say "blown away" but i tricked you

- me funny

Benjasaurus (May 17, 2005)

Seeing this tour in Richmond in under 2 weeks and looking forward to it.

maverick (May 17, 2005)

too bad you missed big business. i never thought a band that consisted simply of a bass guitar and drum set could be so damn impressive.

Three words, four numbers: Death From Above 1979.

Big Business is chump change compared to that stuff.

-Scott

maverick (May 17, 2005)

In Cleveland, the Blood Brothers pretty much played all of Crimes, plus "Birth Skin/Death Leather," "Ambulance Vs Ambulance" and "Cecilia And The Silhouette Saloon." I couldn't believe how much of the set was culled from new material; very risky, but the crowd ate it up regardless.

The best part of the night was the encore, which consisted of "Fucking's Greatest Hits" and their cover of "Under Pressure." It was pretty damn sweet.

-Scott

tylerdurden8136 (May 17, 2005)

this show was amazing. first time i ever saw the blood brothers, and it wont be the last.

plot was a great surprise too. i was right up front, and was one of the few that got soaked when the lead singer "came" all over the crowd with his water bottle.

too bad you missed big business. i never thought a band that consisted simply of a bass guitar and drum set could be so damn impressive.