Real Farmer - Live At The Dalby Cafe EP Review
Dutch punk powerhouse Real Farmer have kept things real since their chaotic beginnings. No punches are ever pulled - and they don't have any intention of slowing down anytime soon.
A flourishing band that know no bounds when it comes to their malleable punk ethic, Real Farmer enter the fray once more with their first ever live EP. Coined Live at the Dalby Cafe, the four-track EP was recorded at Margate's Dalby Cafe. While it is an irregular gig location, it certainly doesn't lack in distinction nor quirky charm, as it becomes a designated stop in a new series of Strap Originals curated sessions.
Stand-in customers read and repeat orders at an otherwise desolate cafe. Taking pause from everyday life in a cafe whilst a punk band going full throttle is certainly a spectacle. Frontman Jeroen Klootsema's erratic energy is the main draw-in as he trawls from booth to booth. His nose is smeared with red and you can't help but wonder if it's condiment or blood. With the way this band hold themselves and what genre they find themselves in, I may be inclined to go for the latter. Filmed and recorded in-house keeps the original raw charm and feel that every punk show is rife with - all the more with Real Farmer at the helm. You can watch the full performance here.
The live EP comes right off of their second record Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right. An off-kilter stalwart of brazen punk, the record - released just last month - showcases the bands' at the peak of their powers so far, unrestrained and eager to show off. One of their most detailed projects, it sees the band peeling back the layers. Examples like System and The Mass are confident strides in embracing the quieter nodes of punk, offering variance in an all-thrills album. The vocals on Run By Animals and Judas are done by bassist Marrit Meinema this time, the wistful musings present here give way to the band seemingly entering post-punk territory, albeit briefly.
A raucous celebration if you will, the live EP includes the aforementioned two singles Missing Link and Heart Out straight off the new record. These feature alongside the deeper cuts of Once More and The Pressure of Others that appeared on some of their very first EPs put to recording. This undoubtedly harks back to the traditionalists in the group, not willing to forget their original roots anytime soon - but also a reflection of just how far they've come since their first six years ago . Recorded in one fell swoop in November last year, it is a reflection of a band who are, for want of a better word, ever-expansive in ideas and sound.
The live renditions of Missing Link and Heart Out are rambunctious in design and the concoctions are quite frankly, outrageous. The vocals of Klootsema are urgent, teetering on the edge of breakdown, not too dissimilar to Joey Ramones' tact. Meinema's tetchy bass-lines swathe through the mix seamlessly while the janky inflections of Jaap van der Velde's searing guitar rips - the supporting vocals complete the picture. Lastly - but not certainly least - Leon Harms' percussive tenacity lays down the bedding for all to follow. Altogether, the end result is an effortless four-part whisking of punk numbers that looks and sounds audaciously fun.
For fans of Bad Nerves and Spiritual Cramp, Real Farmer are an attributing act worth getting into. Supported by their sophomore record released just last month in May, their first-ever live EP is out now.
Real Farmer are set to do some European dates of their own in July and August before setting off on a support tour with the dark-wave post-punk masters Sisters of Mercy in Europe during September.