At times self-indulgent, gig hit right notes

BEAK>, Bristol Jam Festival, Old Vic

SUCCESS can be a funny thing.

Some people spend their whole lives chasing it but never achieve it.

Others fall into it almost by accident and then run away as fast as possible.

Geoff Barrow of Portishead is definitely the latter.

The unexpected success of his first band’s debut

Instead Barrow – a strong contender for Dave Grohl’s title of nicest man in rock – has repeatedly shunned the limelight in favour of more challenging projects.

Last year’s impressive Invada Invasion at the Colston Hall was an example of this working perfectly, as Barrow put the golden foyer to better use than anyone before or since.

His latest group BEAK> – yes, that’s all capital letters followed by a ‘more than/less than’ sign – is a more acquired taste.

Taking obvious inspiration from the Krautrock bands of the 1970s like Can and Faust, this three-piece build bass, drums and synthesisers into a mesmerising rhythm.

When it worked, it worked very well, like the pacey

Elsewhere it led towards the self-indulgent. At times it felt like the audience had stumbled into a rehearsal – there was little if any interaction and the few times the band spoke it was mostly to each other.

The venue didn’t help. The Old Vic is many things but a great gig destination is not one of them – at times this felt more like performance art.

7/10

SAM RKAINA