Bad Plus and Polar Bear - live at the Bath pavillion

I had never heard either of these bands before I went to see them. I've just spent a weekend visiting friends in Bristol and we were looking for something to do. This gig had been advertised in the local gig-guide magazine. I was aware of the existence of the Bad Plus, a jazz band who played Nirvana, Black Sabbath and Aphex Twin; so I was keen to check them out.

We got the train through to Bath and arrived in the venue just as the first band, Polar Bear, started to play. I don't know much about jazz. I like some John Coltrane and Miles Davis and I've read some books but I don't really understand it. I like some of the music but I'm not totally sure of all the theory that goes with it. The hall was full of professional jazz fans and some right tossers (thank you twat with spikey hair who talked through the Polar Bear set).

Polar bear were OK. They play traditional jazz with some electronic effects over the top. The electronic noises are produced by what appears to be a 12-year old playing Sonic the Hedgehog on an apple laptop. They had two sax players, a drummer and a double bass player. The music was energetic at times and chilled at other times. The drummer doubled up as band leader and songwriter. After every couple of songs he would take the microphone to deliver an uncomfortable monologue that implied a keen interest in contolled narcotics. Jazz cigarettes probably. He looked like a member of the Hair-Bear Bunch.

The music was good so all is forgiven.

The Bad Plus were better. They are an american piano-driven trio. The music is alternating dreaminess and chaos. The drummer is brilliant. He plays like an octopus with the energy of John Bonham or a hardcore punk band. He is grinning from ear-to-ear for most of the set. They played an Aphex Twin cover (flim) and an Ornette Coleman cover (song x) but their own stuff was great. When they finished I wanted to hear more. I will try and find some of their CDS. You can hear them on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/badplus

funky