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Words & Images by: Lara Purvis
Controller.Controller :: 09.15.06 :: Zaphod Beeblebrox :: Ottawa, ON
What is it about Controller.Controller that people love so much?
Scott Kaija - Controller.Controller |
It was my goal to find the answer as I headed into Zaphod Beeblebrox in Byward Market. This market spans about three blocks in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Offering a variety of fruits, veggies, flowers and gifts during the day, this area is always buzzing. With all that gone at night, Byward Market becomes the entertainment district, with a number of restaurants, bars and nightclubs lining the streets.
With several live music joints interspersed as well, there is always an interesting selection of people in the Market. You're almost always going to run into a bachelorette party stumbling along the sidewalk, tiaras askew, as you pick your way through the groups of university students and toss a dollar into the hat of the sax player on the corner. You know you've arrived when you're finally standing amongst several small pockets of young people, wearing various shades of grey, cigarettes in hand as they talk. They're standing awkwardly, eyes shifting self-consciously, waiting for the music to free them from their social restraints. It's easy to describe such a group when you're an outsider.
Jeff Scheven - Controller.Controller |
Zaphod's was packed. Having seen a spectacular band play to a half-empty bar two days prior, I was astonished and even more mystified. I was definitely going to get to the bottom of this. I went through the ritual - bought a beer and found a spot on the dance floor.
There was a wolf on stage. Drummer Jeff Scheven was wearing his signature mask and had just appeared. He stood facing the crowd, arms stretched out silently. Taking his seat behind the drums, he held our attention as the rest of the band took the stage. There was little movement among the audience; they were already jam-packed shoulder-to-shoulder across the floor with their back towards the bar. The walls were lined with fans sitting on the backs of the couches. I shifted uneasily, trying to get a better view.
With her back to the audience, singer Nirmala Basnayake opened with "History." Controller.Controller describes their music as "death disco." This apt term captures their meld of disco, punk and edgy aggro rock. On first impression I found the music to be powerful and noisy. I searched for the melodic structure. It wasn't quite my cup of tea, but I was willing to give it time with hope of being persuaded.
Nirmala Basnayake - Controller.Controller |
I scrutinized the band as I focused on the question I would answer this night: What is it that makes people love Controller.Controller? Like most bands, it was likely a combination of factors that caused so many fans to show their support. Supporting Nirmala's husky vocals are guitarists Scott Kaija and Colwyn Llewellyn-Thomas and bassist Ronnie Morris. From the first moment the band was fully energized with little need for a warm-up. I first questioned, then admired the band's ability to burst into motion and sound right at the start. This was the kind of larger-than-life intensity with which most bands hoped to finish.
The band obviously doesn't believe in set-lists. There was a brief, awkward discussion about which song was next before they plowed through "Silent Seven." Jeff removed his wolf mask and flung it aside, although his hair clinging to his sweaty face was no more attractive than the mask had been. Still, there is something about the rawness of such power and effort that had us all transfixed.
Ronnie Morris - Controller.Controller |
Ronnie Morris grabbed my attention as the band continued with "Poison/Safe." It was not hard to be convinced of his insanity. Rolling out full and complex bass lines, he marched at the edge of the stage, swinging his bass with every beat, chin up high and eyes huge, unblinking. I half expected him to start frothing at the mouth.
Through "Heavy as a Heart" the beautiful Nirmala played the audience like an expert. Smiling coquettishly, she spun, danced and flirted with the crowd, resembling a photo-shoot model more than the husky voice and raw vocals she spat out.
As the band continued with "PF" and "City of Daggers," I watched and appreciated the two guitarists. Yet despite their abrupt, powerful guitar lines and the over-the-edge drumming, the crowd was hardly moving. The fact that there was a head nodding here and there meant they were all still alive and conscious, and loud screams between songs suggested that the crowd was definitely digging it. So why not dance? This mystery will simply have to remain so, because I was still on a mission to discover the root of the band's hype.
Morris & Basnayake - Controller.Controller |
Announcing that they had a special surprise for the final two songs, Nirmala invited Becky Ninkovic from the opener, You Say Party, We Say Die, to join them. This, I enjoyed. The blend of Becky's clear, feminine voice and Nirmala's powerful vocals was awe-inspiring. They finished with "Disco Blackout" and "Magnetic Strip." It had taken me a while, but I may have been just warming up to the actual music.
I'm still not sure of the reason for such popularity. Is it the roaring sound that all the kids adore? I could consider that, had I seen fans dancing. Perhaps they were frozen in absolute delight? There are some that have hailed the lyrical content of Controller.Controller songs, but try as I could, I was not able to decipher the words from the noisy aggressive sound. I suspect their current album, X-Amounts, carries the lyrics in the CD sleeve. I don't recall seeing anyone singing along.
So despite my efforts and my super-sleuth skills, the popularity of Controller.Controller remains an enigma to me. What I do know is that one of the elements of the Controller.Controller attraction is definitely the visual show. The band does it up right. And if you like the sound, combine those two elements and there you have it, diehard fandom.
So why was my heart not whisked away by the music of Controller.Controller? Blame it on my age. Either that or I'm just not trendy enough.
JamBase | Ottawa
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