On Friday I ventured to The Civic to check out The Avalanches Brains Nightclub tour. Whilst I was expecting a random and quirky journey, I was simply left feeling somewhat lost and confused. I cannot flaw the musicians, the venue, the crowd, or the service.  Basically, there was something missing in the concoction.

“Brains” is an afro-soca club night that The Avalanches began in 2004 while working on their next album. It has been consistently described as, “a low key, low fee bush turkey disco” which they have just taken on the road. They are collaborating with King Marong and his band from Gambia who jam to the records played by The Avalanches gents. (Minus Dexter Fabay who left approximately one year ago).

On paper, the night appeared that it was going to be one to remember: the last I heard of the Avalanches was 4 years ago, and they have been sorely missed. Mixed with King Marong and band who fuse traditional Gambian percussion with Western instruments and then an advanced warning that there would be unique sound affects I was looking forward to the unexpected.

Downstairs at the Civic is by far one of my favourite venues. It is intimate and charming and has unrivalled ambience. One always feels that they have been privy to a well-kept secret due to the location.  The bar staff are always professional (I didn’t have more than one cigarette butt in my ashtray all night…. and that says a lot). The drink prices are in alignment with other establishments of such calibre, and there is a vast selection of spirits and beers.

I arrived early with my +1, as we wanted to assure ourselves a booth. There was a definite crackle in the air and the mood was festive. The crowd was quite standard. Most were in their 20’s wearing sneakers and jeans with a funky top. I was both surprised and chuffed that there was a higher concentration of males.

It was eclectic from the beginning. One moment you are listening to feel like you are in the Caribbean sipping on coconuts, then the next you are boogieing down to Michael Jackson at studio 54, then they dropped Riders on the Storm. However I didn’t feel that the set came to a crescendo at any time. The changes in the music reminded me of trying to tune a radio and just not finding the right frequency.

Whilst there were definite flashes of brilliance, and everyone really did want to have a good time, the music simply didn’t come together for me, and it was not the crazy journey I was hoping for. I left soon after the set finished, as did the majority of the room.