With Nomeansno now officially retired, Fugazi on indefinite hiatus and Sonic Youth extremely unlikely to tour again after the acrimonious marital split of Kim and Thurston there’s very slim pickings, gig wise, for those of us Generation X’ers with an affinity for US post-hardcore, indie, noise rock.

The truth is that Shellac represent all and none of these genres/scenes from the independent rock heydays of the 80s and 90s. The band define themselves as a minimalist rock trio and that’s as good a description as any.

The origins of the band rest in a loose collaboration between guitarist Steve Albini and drummer Todd Trainer with bass player Bob Weston joining presumably a short time before the release of two 7” singles (The Rude Gesture: A Pictorial History and Uranus) in 1993. Albini needs little introduction having fronted two of the most challenging and confrontational punk/noise bands of the 1980’s namely Big Black and Rapeman before electing to become a full time recording engineer, credited  on albums such as The Pixies “Surfer Rosa” and Nirvana’s “In Utero”. Bob Weston, formally of Boston’s Volcano Suns and since 2002 a member of the reformed Mission of Burma, is also a full time recording engineer having worked on Rodan’s seminal album "Rusty” among others. Like his band mates, drummer Todd Trainer, formally of Rifle Sport, also has outside interests including his own band Brick Layer Cake.

These outside commitments may well hold the secret to Shellac’s longevity. Yes they’ve been around for 27 years but they’ve only released 5 studio albums. The band is perhaps best viewed as the creative outlet for 3 friends who hold down full time jobs and occasionally get together to work on songs and when their schedules permit, organise a short tour of small club type venues, like the one tonight.

The set begins with “A Minute” from their debut 1994 album “At Action Park”. That gradual build from quiet to loud of the perfectly synchronised bass and drums before Steve’s metallic sounding guitar erupts and we’re on our way. The set list is an extremely satisfying mix of songs from their last album (2014’s “Dude Incredible”), some older fan favourites like “Wingwalker” and several as yet unrecorded songs that may or may not end up on a future album that may or may not be released.

The tracks from the aforementioned Dude Incredible sound particular good tonight. “Compliant” with it’s metronomic, trance inducing rhythm that ends at the very moment it’s promised explosive payoff is fulfilled. “Riding Bikes” showcases more of that quiet loud dynamic that Shellac have perfected but the highlight is “Dude Incredible” itself with the interplay between Albini’s buzzing guitar and the slowdown, speed up rhythm section reminiscent of early Math Rock pioneers like Don Caballero. There’s a reason that Todd Trainer is positioned front and centre of stage. In some ways his drumming is the glue that binds Shellac together. He hits the drums hard and that insistent crack of the snare and thud of the bass drum combined with an immaculate sense of timing inevitably leads to comparisons with John Bonham.

In between songs there’s the banter, joke telling and question and answer session between band and audience that has become such an enjoyable part of a Shellac gig. Steve appears to question Ed Sheeran’s artistic merit and takes aim at celebrities publicising themselves singing their own songs in karaoke bars, going as far as to suggest that Celine Dion should be put in prison! It’s all very humorous and indicates how relaxed both band and audience are in each another’s company.  

There’s a treat towards the end of the set when they play “Killers”, a track from an unproduced movie and only ever available on a benefit CD for The Lounge Ax music venue in Chicago. The night ends fittingly with “The End of Radio” which has become a vehicle for extended music and spoken word improvisation. Bob Weston anchors the song with a simple, urgent, repetitive bass chord while  Todd prowls around the stage with his unclipped snare drum and drumstick as Steve riffs on the theme of the death of music and the end of the world.

Later, outside the venue, a younger member of the audience remarks to me that a Shellac gig is “part music concert, part stand-up comedy show”. Theatre not television maybe.

John Potter, Barnoldswick.

 Post-hardcore