Friday night and the alien anthropologist is hovering around the Corner Hotel. Dressed in the native garb (porous epidermis, hirsute cranium, cotton/synthetic coverings), she blends easily with the crowd of natives whose religion she is studying. Initial observations lead her to believe that the tribe, called the Yuth, are fervently religious. Vast numbers flock to under lit, smoke filled (from the ceremonial incense) churches every Friday and Saturday night. Congruent with the Gospel tribes of America, the Yuth proclaim their faith through song. The nomadic clergy travel from church to church, where they typically lead the congregation from an elevated stage. They sing loudly (the Gods of the Yuth are presumably hard of hearing, for the priests ritualistically amplify their hymns to dangerous levels), while the worshippers dance themselves into a self-induced ecstasy.
The anthropologist has chosen this particular session because the topic is Mythology. The priests are in the service of a deity known as Kate, for they consider themselves to be 'Something For Kate'. The sermon is "sold out", a term reflecting joy in having the maximum capacity of souls in attendance. There's a palpable anticipation for the band of priests, led by a minister called Paul - who carries himself like the moon looking down on the troubles of the world - and joined by pastor Wally Gunn, an offensively underrated local luminary. When Paul and his priestess Stephanie stroll barefoot onto the stage, the congregation erupts in praise. Such casualness allows the masses to identify with the priests. It's as if they've not left their loungeroom, but for the 800 odd people peering in through an open window.
Paul's band of preachers has embarked upon this pilgrimage in support of their new treatise on Echolalia, the god of speech and word repetition. It's mildly ironic that they knock out four songs before a word is spoken. This pattern is followed for the rest of the night. When words are uttered, it's usually Paul expressing humble gratitude to the crowd. One of the hymns contained in the Echolalia treatise tells of mythological Monsters. Before launching into a well-received rendition of this song, Paul says - somewhat cryptically - "this is a song about myself, about yourself, about the self," suggesting, perhaps, that these Monsters do not belong to the mythic realms at all. Another of these new songs, You Only Hide... appears to be a moving account of a giantess; Paul sings "your eyes are corridors I wander through." This mythic behemoth is also a god, displaying the intangible nature of deity: "you only hide because you know I found you..."
Confirming his status as the head pontiff, half way through the service the others leave Paul alone on the stage to perform solo. The gathering becomes hushed, and he leads them through about three songs, including another newie from Echolalia, called Moving Right Along. This song is not finished yet, Paul explains, but he's proud enough of it to give it a burl.
The congregation clearly has favourite songs, and they call out requests. The most popular songs, to judge from these requests, are Captain (presumably dedicated to the leader of the gods) and The Astronaut (perhaps a god of space travel). The Astronaut is played in due course, but Captain is not. The reasons for this are difficult to fathom, as it seems to risk incurring the wrath of this Captain. Other obvious favourites are played however: among these are Whatever You Want and Working Against Me.
The idolisation of their religious leaders is so great that when Something For Kate leave the stage, the Yuth frantically demand they return. Benevolently, they do. This encore is filled with three or four more songs, one of which, called Seasick is, again, off Echolalia. Judging from the reaction to the new songs, the Echolalia treatise will easily please both the god it's dedicated to, and the numerous ardent followers of Kate's minions. The faces leaving the church at the end of the service testify to this.
MELANIE SHERIDAN