Stef Ketteringham is the embodiment of contemporary rock and roll. This hirsute young man relentlessly records and releases collections of strange, nightmarish music, either as Guns Or Knives or with his band Shield Your Eyes, apparently existing entirely apart from any real scene – and regularly ‘bedding down chez LDV‘.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Ketteringham has invented an entirely new way of playing guitar. He thrashes away at a battered instrument, strings missing, in a way that is somehow simultaneously technically adept and entirely nonsensical.
‘Can’t Fake The First Take’, which has long been a personal favourite of mine, is taken from Guns Or Knives’ forthcoming album Can’t Beat Him Can’t Join Him, which is out later this year on Function. Listen to this – then go and buy the entire Shield Your Eyes discography on vinyl.
cant fake the first take (cant beat him cant join him) by shield your eyes
Sign up to Best Fit's Substack for regular dispatches from the world of pop culture