OFF Festival 2012: Battles

On the third and final night of what has been the most musically diverse festival I’ve had the pleasure of attending, I was in the mindset that there couldn’t possibly be anything more diverse that could hit my ears. Then along came Battles on OFF Festival’s mBank stage. With a menagerie of instruments, the three New Yorkers weave a tapestry of sounds that astounds and confuses. Is Ian Williams really standing there hitting a baked bean tin? Is he playing the keyboard with his knuckles? Whether he is or not is probably irrelevant, it’s just great to revel in the feeling that you’re watching some crazy shenanigans.

Old favourites from 2007’s ‘Mirrored’ rear their heads, including the much-loved ‘Atlas’, which receives the best crowd response. Newer tracks from ‘Gloss Drop’ are less catchy, but the collaborations give the band a chance to drop in some visuals; ‘My Machines’ sees Gary Numan’s monochrome head and torso blasted out to the crowd on an LED screen, ‘Sweetie & Shag’ sees Blonde Redhead lead singer Kazu Makino used in much the same way, except in glorious technicolour, and ‘Ice Cream’ comprises four minutes of Matias Aguayo dancing, interspersed with images of various ice cream sundaes. It’s mad, but fits perfectly with OFF’s ethos and rounds off a festival that’s taken us to all corners of the musical spectrum.