PLINI / DISPERSE / DAVID MAXIM MICIC (LIVE REVIEW – THE BORDERLINE, LONDON, MARCH 19 2017)
A lot of people think prog is cold and soulless – but Plini’s show on Sunday night was one of the most heartwarming shows I’ve seen in a long time. Some parts of the world are dark and hateful places – but The Borderline was not one of them.
Click here to subscribe for free on YouTube!
With a sold-out queue stretching around the corner and down the street, it goes without saying that Sunday night’s lineup was pretty special. Although I had heard of David Maxim Micic and Disperse before, I deliberately didn’t do any research on them before the show, because I wanted to be surprised by what they had to offer. Instead of being surprised, I was stunned.
David Maxim Micic is a master of space and pacing. For me, the best songs in his set were Damar and 687 Days; Damar is a really sexy djent track, and 687 Days is a more ballad-style song with a solid foundation. Then, you have Who Bit The Moon – a ten-minute epic that contains everything including the kitchen sink.
That was the perfect way to open a show.
In the lead-up to this show, there was a lot of excitement about the sheer amount of guitar talent set to take the stage at The Borderline. Although Disperse boast their own virtuoso – Jakub Zytecki – he definitely plays for the song before anything else. Because of that, Disperse’s set held some amazing highlights for me – namely Surrender, Bubbles, Gabriel, Enigma Of Abode, Stay, and Tether.
If I had to pick just one, it would be Enigma Of Abode, thanks to a hectic slap-guitar intro and winning combination of tasty shred and deep-pocketed grooves. You have to hold your hands up to that and admit to Disperse: You win!
The guitar is one of the most personal instruments in the world. There are so many players out there, but so many of them have their own voices – and Plini is absolutely one of those players.
The amount of love going back and forth between the fans and Plini’s band was phenomenal. The crazy thing is that Plini is from Australia – and yet he can still sell out his first headline show in London, on the other side of the world. It just goes to show how powerful the internet is.
Having said that, Plini’s ability is undeniable. The guy is one of the best guitarists on the planet; not only can he play anything, but when he plays, you can’t help but be immersed in a sea of rhythmic figures, chords, and notes. Plini isn’t about showing off – he’s about playing what matters.
With songs like Electric Sunrise, Moonflower, Atlas, Heart, and Paper Moon under his belt, Plini has established himself as a guitar player you have to listen to. Ultimately, though, the best moments of Plini’s set were collaborative. John Waugh, who plays saxophone for The 1975, joined as a special guest for Handmade Cities, which is so funky it hurts. Then, before Paper Moon, the final encore, David Maxim Micic, Jakub Zytecki, and John Waugh all returned for a ten-minute jam during Away.
It’s safe to say that expectations were high for this show – but Plini, Disperse, and David Maxim Micic easily exceeded them.
So those are my thoughts on that show – but I want to know what you think. So subscribe for free to my YouTube channel, leave a comment, and I’ll see you in the next video!