Supergroup Drink The Sea featuring members of REM, Queens of The Stone Age and more make UK debut with a night to remember at The Wedge | Review
I could easily fill this review by talking about the various resumés of the members of supergroup Drink the Sea, but that wouldn’t do justice to what I’ve just witnessed at the Wedge.
Sure, the fact that REM’s Peter Buck is jamming with a former Queen of the Stone Age and a legendary Seattle grunge drummer is what has attracted a capacity crowd, but the noise Buck, Alain Johannes, Barrett Martin, Duke Garwood, Lisette Garcia and Abbey Blackwell make is not so much alt-rock as it is eclectic and ethereal.
Drink the Sea’s debut double album was conceived and recorded in a variety of locations, ranging from California’s Rancho de la Luna studio to the Amazon rainforest, and the big wide world’s influence is evident not only in the music, but the backdrop of cityscapes, mountains and icebergs, courtesy of filmmaker Tad Fettig. The stage lights project the band’s silhouettes onto the videos, as if they inhabit the worlds behind them.
Every so often, a nod from Martin to Johannes or Buck flags a change. These aren’t tunes that have been played for years, this is new, young music. The songs are still coming to life as they’re performed, and we’re witnessing the organic process.
Garwood’s sullen, deep vocal has hints of Lou Reed, complemented by Johannes and Martin’s soaring harmonies, recalling the trio’s collaborations with enigmatic vocalist Mark Lanegan – sadly missed, and honoured in an emotive rendition of Mad Season’s Long Gone Day.
There are moments where heads nod and feet tap, but often we just stand and listen in awe. In the quieter middle section, Martin leaves his drums and with a violin bow, makes a glockenspiel sound utterly haunting. Garcia’s understated percussion and Blackwell’s perfectly restrained bass playing anchor Johannes’ virtuosity and Buck’s signature shimmering guitar work.
As we near the end, REM classic The One I Love surprises and delights. The curtain is brought down with Desert Sessions staple Making a Cross and Johannes-penned Queens song Hanging Tree. It’s in these final numbers we’re reminded just who is on stage.
But this isn’t just a who’s who of the last 30 years of alternative music, this is Drink the Sea, the best band you’ve never heard of.