toe / The Prospect Building / Bristol

Apr 14

Apr 14 toe / The Prospect Building / Bristol

300 mile round trip to see a band ? Must be something special….. well yeah, it was….. And one I simply couldn’t miss…..

Welcome to the world of toe (Tō) the hugely influential and much loved Japanese band who blend together an intricate and stunning mix of post rock, jazz, electronica, math rock, R&B and much much more.

What a rare treat this is indeed – having only ever been to the UK twice in their entire career, in 2013 (a sold out solitary London show at XOYO) and in 2016 (for an ArcTanGent Festival exclusive).

And here we now are, driving 150 miles down to Bristol to catch just one of three UK dates on their “Loneliness Will Shine” tour, part of their 25th anniversary touring.

We’re heading to a fairly new venue in Bristol, The Prospect Building, near Temple Meads on Feeder Street. Opening in late 2024 following the closer of the nearby Marble Factory. This 25,000 square foot venue is based in an old Ministry of Defence torpedo warehouse ! And what a place it is, we’re in the Crane room, named for the huge gantry crane that still sits across the room, now used as a lighting gantry platform. Very similar to the Marble Factory, it is simply a huge warehouse space – and I love it !

The support at each show was excellent with Cahill // Costello supporting in Glasgow, who I saw a couple of years back at The Exchange in Bristol, and Pennines and Tangled Hair both supporting in London. Here in Bristol we have a local band called HAAL.

HAAL are Alfie Hay (guitar & vocals), Joe Collins (bass), Ethan Jones (synthesisers & sampling) and Jo Frost (drums) although tonight he is unavailable and replaced by the band’s good friend Taye George for the night. HAAL combine elements of post-rock, metal, trip-hop and industrial noise, into something quite unique, and they’ve become something of a Bristol cult favourite on the live scene.

While Cahill // Costello sit squarely at the ambient soft side of toe, HAAL sit somewhere between toe and SUNN O))) lol. Their sound features heavy, indeed crushing guitar sounds and Alfie’s bleak vocals. There’s a distinctly doom-laden tone underlying the tracks which makes them both haunting and atmospheric.

Visually they have an interesting stage set up that adds to the dystopian feel, with old school CRT TV monitors stacked up, controlled from the side of the stage displaying static interference and changing graphics. I’ve seen them used only once before by Soap in Derby and it’s a look I find really engaging.

The Crane room is an impressively big space (and this is the smaller room at the Prospect Building !) but HAAL do it sonic justice. As stage smoke spills over into the crowd, their distorted guitars and synth tones, fill the vast cavernous space.

The lights were dim, making the most of rear fitted spots to shine out through the band into the crowd, creating patterns through the smoke trails, adding to the moody and dramatic material.

Alfie’s vocals were minimal, but add a sonic depth to their tone, switching from almost spoken word sections to screams.

HAAL were an impressive outfit, solid, even with the change tonight on drums delivering a confident set of post-punk industrial noise. I can see why they’re so popular on the live circuit, and a worthy choice as support for toe.

Setlist

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So, onwards to the highly anticipated Japanese post-rock/math rock legends toe (which incidentally stands for Theory of Everything, not just a toe……). Formed in 2000 in Tokyo toe are Kashikura Takashi (drums), Mino Takaaki (guitar), Yamane Satoshi (bass guitar), and Yamazaki Hirokazu (guitar). Despite their 25 year history they have amazingly only released four full length studio albums, from their amazing 2005 debut “The Book About My Idle Plot on a Vague Anxiety” (which I’m listening to as I write this, 2009’s “For Long Tomorrow”, 2015’s “Hear You” and thei latest album, 2024’s “Now I See The Light”.

Their sound is primarily instrumental, featuring melodic crisp clear gyuitar tones set against a backdrop of impressive dynamic drumming from Takashi. Indeed his drumming is revered across math-rock circles, able to move from precise soulful beats one moment, to a cyclone of controlled chaos jazz like beats the next.

Despite the large stage platform, the equipment was placed in the centre, almost in a semi-circle, creating an intimate performance space, with the drum kit at it’s heart.

Toe step out in the stage smoke to huge applause, and quietly take up their positions, Takaaki on guitar to the left of Takashi’s drums, Hirokazu on a stool to the front right and Satoshi standing further back on bass. The crowd fall silent in anticipation, the intimate set up creating a sense of closeness, almost as in a library. It feels more like a band rehearsal than a full stage and we all feel special for being allowed to listen in.

And then the guitars spark into life as LONELINESS WILL SHINE starts up. Hirokazu adding some soft delicate vocals to the mix. The musical textures are delicate but rich in tone and seem to drift out over the room.

It’s followed by Long Tomorrow from 2009’s “For Long Tomorrow”. A perfect example of Takashi’s drumming. Toe have this ability to almost perform two different pieces together at the same time. The guitars and bass delivering an often subtle and gentle piece, under which Takashi performs some incredible drum set acrobatics, delivering something entirely different, fast, erratic and complex. And yet somehow, the two meld together perfectly. I found myself subconsciously switching between the layers, first hearing the guitar, then drifting into a chaotic world of jazz noise, and back again.

In a similar vein Esoteric is another great example, which starts with an extended Takashi solo, chaotic and wild, and yet structured and complex. His dexterity is impressive as the drumstick flit between drums and cymbals rapidly, almost in a blur. Then the guitars kick in adding harmonics and riffs to round out the sonic soundscape.

In the more frantic guitar tracks, Takaaki and Hirokazu come alive. The two have an almost telepathic sense and between them, they jump and roll on the floor delivering some impressively complex guitar tones, the riffs intertwined into one – exquisite.

With F_A_R from the “Our Latest Number” EP released in 2018, we get one of the quieter moments of the set. A beautiful delicate, slow moving and subtle piece that has the crowd mesmerised.

Throughout the skills on display are exceptionally high. I think anyone who gets to see them on this short run is going to be in for a great night. Takashi’s drum solos are simply stunning. He throws himself fully into them and expressively, his face contorting, expressing every nuance of his sound. It’s precise and technically superb, but also feels natural, organic almost.

The Japanese band stay silent throughout, allowing their music and energy do the talking for them, then during the finale a statement is read out something along the lines of ‘we hope you find something special, as it can make time invaluable. For us as a band, that is toe’ The crowd clap and cheer and the set closes with the aptly named Goodbye which I believe first appeared on the 2021 live album “Doku-En-Kai”. A simple guitar and vocal start has the crowd cheer. The drums add irregular spontaneous outbursts of sound before the track kicks off properly. It builds and becomes more complex and deep. Not your anthemic end, but one of pure beauty and majesty which has the crowd singing along to joyously.

As the band take their bows and leave, the Bristol crowd shout and cheer. What can I say about toe ? Intricate, thoughtful, beautiful, peaceful, chaotic and thoroughly enjoyable.

HAAL were incredible, a band I will definitely be seeing again. toe are something unique. I’m so glad I got the chance to experience them live and I hope it’s not another 25 yaesr before I do again lol. Listening to the album “Now I See the Light” on the 150 mile drive home, I reflect on how good it was. It was worth every mile, every roadworks, every queue to get there !

Setlist

LONELINESS WILL SHINE

Long Tomorrow

THE WIND AND RECOLLECTIONS

Kodoku no Hatsumei

Chiaroscuro

The Latest Number

Because I Hear You

Esoteric

Sonny Boy Rhapsody

NOW I SEE THE LIGHT

F_A_R