These days the brilliant
Eureka Machines only come down to 'that London' from their native Leeds about once a year, so I'd be mad to miss them. Well maybe mad either way but here I am back at the
Borderline - for probably the last time ever. This venue had a massive refurb a couple of years ago which in my view utterly ruined it. The useful raised area near the bar that enabled a good view of the stage was removed, as was the step/raised area of the rear half of the room which also enabled a better view for people in the back half of the room. The bar was moved too - none of these things were an improvement in my opinion - they just made it into a
worse music venue, And they moved the toilets too - from the back of the venue where they were easy to get to. Now you have to negotiate a long and badly signed corridor and corner with stupidly bright and disorientating lighting that should carry a health warning for epileptics or anyone effected by flashing lights like when they warn you about flash photography on the TV news! It's like being in a sci-fi spaceship. Incredibly stupid, no doubt
very expensive, and completely unnecessary! This was a good music venue - now it's like a shit nightclub. What were they thinking? No doubt the already outrageous bar prices have been hiked up even more to pay for it - so I don't even bother trying to get a drink.
The venue might now be dreadful, but at least Eureka Machines are still fantastic!
Their unique take on rock/pop/metal is interesting and
highly entertaining. The standard of musicianship is very high and the playing tight.
With a strong following and five excellent albums under their belt, but still almost entirely no media attention and virtually no radio airplay even though they sell this and other venues out every time they play on London - they stubbornly carry on recording new music and playing shows - because they love it. And so do we. The situation I have just described features in the lyrics of some of their songs too: 'The Story Of My Life', 'Do Or Die', The Light At The End Of The Tunnel', 'Champion The Underdog', 'Zero Hero', 'Good Guys Finnish Last', 'Pop Star' (Check out the brilliant
video for that song showing the everyday reality of life in a struggling band), the poignant 'Eternal Machines', 'We're Going To The Future', and 'Little Victories' all tell part of the band's story...
Although the music itself is taken very seriously, These guys don't take
themselves seriously at all and there is much hilarious banter from frontman Chris Catalyst. The music and the band's performance is enormous fun! I'm sure they have put
a lot of work into being this good, and they really are
very good indeed - I don't think you'll see a better band anywhere on the UK club circuit.
This has been a terrific night out - just as well as it might be
at least a year before Eureka Machines hit London again. And they won't be able to play at
The Borderline again as it's closing down this summer - only two years after it's highly expensive and unnecessary refit - what a total waste of money
that was! Oh well, this venue might be gone (and it deserves to even though London
doesn't deserve to lose any more music venues) but that funny little band from Leeds will carry on....
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