Somewhere in a US dictionary beneath the phrase 'College Rock' is a photograph of Stephen Malkmus and Pavement. Not only did they define the college sound, they looked like they worked in one. Yet Pavement were also one of the 90's greatest bands, whose classic debut album was followed by four others brimming with literate puzzles and skewed magic.
From Fall copyists with a love of the UK (they played their final shows at Brixton and even supported Luton Town FC) they proved increasingly influential to a host of acts this side of the Atlantic. Just ask Blur, whose ex-guitarist Graham Coxon plays main support tonight.
Now solo, Malkmus gets the opportunity to make his Anglophile dreams reality with this two-night 'Down The Dustpipe' mini-festival, that sees elusive folkie Vashti Bunyan rub shoulders with the likes of Alternative TV, Super Furry Animals, The Groundhogs and Bert Jansch. It's a line-up that says more about the world of Malkmus than any of his cryptic lyricisms ever could.
Of tonight's bill, Jansch is the true star, proving why he was a key influence on both Neil Young and Jimmy Page, while Coxon proves to be ok but too in thrall of Syd Barrett to be truly exceptional. The evening's curator, meanwhile, remains as elusive as ever.
Drawing heavily on latest LP 'Pig Lib', Malkmus and his four-piece band, The Jicks, certainly plough a similar furrow to Pavement. Tracks like 'Water And A Seat', '(Do Not Feed The) Oyster' and 'Witch Mountain Bridge' are as disjointed and playful as ever - one minute harmonic and linear, the next atonal and indulgent - and all topped off with that wry half-sung half-spoken vocal. It's difficult not to warm to a man who can open a song with: "Crimson alligator blinded by the surf/Came here only yesterday from the worst place on this Earth."
Yet, there's still a sense that Malkmus is searching for a solo identity. Too often tonight he seems pre-occupied and distanced from his audience. The new material - though undoubtedly clever - often lacks a sense of humanity, while the band never use two chords when they think thirty-seven will do. More of this and they'll be wearing capes in a few years time. Sometimes less is definitely more and you're left yearning to chew on something with the simple immediacy of a 'Here', a 'Major Leagues' or a 'Range Life'.
When the 70s-influenced excesses are reigned in - like they are on tonight's highlight 'Jenny and the Ess-Dog' - The Jicks still sound class and you'd write Malkmus off at your peril. There's not many who'd put together such an ambitious programme as this and the next record may well be a classic. But tonight proves to be one chord too far and clever for clevers sake.
College Rock doesn't have to mean double trigonometry with a side order of long arithmetic for afters.
