Category: Live Reviews

The Soho Dolls
Scala
20.07.06

First up are the Soho Dolls at 8:20 sharp. A group reminiscent of Patti Smith, and Goldfrapp. Girls adorned with sky-scraping stiletto heels, and Boys clad in eyeliner. Their music is good enough to not want to try so hard…but, they do? A little too staged, and not passionately animated enough. Additional impromptu Rock ‘n Roll chaos, would give them the added Sex Appeal they seem to be searching for. Every band has an off night, and with all their back-to-back tour dates its no wonder that this is theirs.

Right on schedule She Wants Revenge confidently ooze onto the stage. Sporting matching moustaches the up and coming LA duo, are supported by a no-name drummer and additional guitarist. They kick off the set with the 2 minute instrumental electro synth warm-up of ‘Red Flags and Long Nights’, proving they can hold their ground instrumentally as well as on the DJ front. A couple of songs, and a short 15 minutes later they rock their Interpol-esque hit ‘She’s Lost Control’.

Warfield skilfully wields a cordless mic, perfectly swaying every choreographed move to every beat, of every song. Continuously moving, dancing and seemingly loving every moment, his charismatic sexy sways bring the stage to life. With his Jean-Paul Basquit hair scraped back, and tatts on his forearm his humble appearance arouses a stir. Eager women armed with camera phones keep clambering past to the front of the stage to get a photo. He politely and melodically gestures them away, carries on singing, and gently moves away to the back of the stage.

Their lyrics about edgy club lust in ‘Sister‘ rings out “She smelled like 2 a.m.,” Their on stage performance visually matching their raw, sleek, sexy red music videos, with the back monotone droning of “You can hurt me, do whatever you like…”. If that isn’t S&M enough for you the suggestive lyrics “Just give me the safe word and take my hand, / And smack me in the mouth my love.” of ‘Monologue’ have the crowd getting heated.

From the blank stares of ‘She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not’, to the thunderous hardcore dance beat of ‘I Don’t Want to Fall in Love’, it is clear that this band is not your average bandwagon. Their bassline constantly screaming revivalism. A tongue-in-cheek collaboration of all the best qualities of Joy Division, Depeche Mode, The Killers, and Interpol.

Just when you think they have run out of ideas, they introduce the interlude dark piano of ‘Disconnect’. Adam12 shows off his keyboard skills, then with a suave hat gesture disappears off stage.

They break into an encore, with Depeche Mode cover ‘Stripped’. Followed by their greatest hit ‘Tear you Apart’. The crowd rages as people get pushed back further, and further from the stage. They emphasise they will only play 3 songs…meaning they have run out of reserves. Ending with words of deep gratitude, they promise to come back and visit.

Niki Kova’cs

London Garage
18.07.06

The Garage is renowned for being something of a sweat-box, but never more so than for a sold-out show on such a hot day as today; with the temperature inside this small north London venue resembling that of a sauna. It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that most of tonight’s action takes place on the well-ventilated stage, whilst the majority of the audience sink into a heat-induced stupor.

Except, that is, for a young man who dances like a deranged grasshopper for the duration of The Scare’s set. He clearly knows a good band when he sees one; in this case, an Australian quintet that resemble the 80’s Matchbox B-Line Disaster if they’d derived inspiration from Gang Of Four records and bad speed comedowns. After half an hour of exhilarating art-funk mayhem, they exit abruptly, leaving us feeling that support slots like these will soon be very much beneath them.

Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies’ swirling, expansive sound certainly suits the increasingly soporific conditions. Like The Scare, they’re largely unknown to the crowd, but have a few devoted fans down at the front. A half-hour set is far too short for a band of their ilk, but the intricacy and atmosphere of songs like ‘Archive It Everywhere’ mark them out as ones to watch.

Forward Russia bound onstage in their trademark matching t-shirts, and get the funk-punk disco party started. Singer Tom is his usual hyperactive self, howling into the faces of the front row as his band’s taut rhythms and scratchy guitars whip the crowd into action. The band recently released a stunner of a debut album in ‘Give Me A Wall’, and the bizarrely-titled likes of ‘Thirteen‘ and, er, ‘Fifteen‘ sound even more impressive in the live setting, demanding that you get up and dance.

Alas, by now, the conditions in the venue have become unbearable, to the extent that many people leave before Forward Russia’s set ends. It seems that the venue’s shortcomings have hindered what should have been a storming show by one of the UK’s most promising bands.

Alex Gosman

Sleepy Jackson
Somerset House
16.07.06

Last time I went to Somerset House I spent most of the time falling on my butt on a vast lake of ice. Fast forward a few months and the cold has been replaced by a heat wave, hundreds of people sprawled on the ground, soaking up the last of a hot Sunday’s sunshine, and in some cases recovering from the night before…

Australia’s Sleepy Jackson cruise onto stage as support, their brand of spaced out, zorbic rock the perfect entrée for The Lemonheads. In Luke Steele the band have a charismatic and notoriously tricky frontman (the list of ex band members is ever growing), who charms the crowd, and keeps our attention for the entire set. At time they sounds like The Arcade Fire, at times Flaming Lips, it’s a colourful, bright set, slipping into instrumentals and sudden flickers of harder rock. With their second album ‘Personality‘ set to drop, you get the impression these guys are only just getting up to full power, watch this space.

Bang on time Evan Dando comes loping out onto the stage, a wry grin plastered on his face, a stripey top on his beanpole frame and his trademark blonde hair unfairly shiney as ever. Despite the fact their best known album ‘It’s a Shame About Ray’ is almost 13 years old now, there’s a good turn out for Dando, and the words are still engrained in us. ‘Ruddlerless‘ and ‘Big Gay Heart’ are sung back word perfect, ‘Confetti‘ touches home and ‘Drug Buddy’ is bittersweet. To be standing in such a stunning setting, under the stars, watching Dando seduce the audience with his boyish charm, is a treat indeed. We’re further spoilt with a solo section, Dando’s persuasive vocals seeing us through ‘The Outdoor Type’, ‘Why Do You Do It to Yourself’, ‘Being Around’ and Mike Nesbitt’s ‘Different Drum’. He even has the nerve do drop a Misfits cover of “Skulls“!

Having signed with Vagrant, The Lemonheads have finished recording their first album since 1996 at Allaire Studios, NY, and we’re presented with a new track from the forthcoming album – ‘No Backbone’, it’s rockier, upbeat but still retains that wistful charm we’ve grown to love.

It’s a new start for Dando, he appears to have conquered his demons and come back stronger than ever.

As the balmy summer evening comes to an end, he hands out what he claims is his work permit to the front row, and jumps on his guitar which doesn’t play the game ‘ I thought it’d make a cool sound!’ he shrugs bashfully.”What a special evening…although we’ll be over here so many times in the next few months, and not one of you will come to see us.” Judging from the crowd’s reaction tonight, he underestimates just how loyal his fans are. Modest as ever, he sidles off stage – here’s hoping he returns very soon indeed.

Dee Massey

Evan Dando’s official website www.evandando.com

BAR ACADEMY, ISLINGTON
13.07.06

If only one sad fact springs to mind upon entering the dingy surroundings of the Bar Academy this evening, it’s that Vanity Fair is no longer a mere magazine title. There’s barely a hair out of place or a cigarette in flame but there’s no end of hot air, something made painfully clear as one wafer thin punter declares triumphantly that he no longer requires clothes any larger than a youth size large. You heard it here first – anorexia is definitely in this summer.

Clambering onstage in a pair of scandalously tiny shorts that wouldn’t appear out of place in a 1980’s P.E. lesson at Grange Hill, Bring Me The Horizon front man Ollie Sykes is to say the least an unlikely ringleader for such occasions. Underpant linings aside, he’ll spend much of tonight’s horrendously short set surfing the barrier and swinging from the ceiling like an electrified monkey, bellowing out the likes of the brilliantly titled ‘Rawwwrr!’ until his eyes bulge. Between songs he cuts a much more chilled out and at times almost charming figure, cracking jokes and apologising in vain for his striking choice of attire; but it’s the final stages of send-off cut ‘Re: They Have No Reflection’ which provide arguably the biggest rib-tickling of the night.

Splitting the crowd in two as his band prepare to thunder into the track’s devastating closing breakdown, Sykes places his foot upon the monitors and prepares to usher in the countdown to chaos. “Who here knows what a ho-down is?” he asks, grinning as his band mates shuffle around the stage and produce a 1950’s rock and roll ditty that reduces the venue to a cauldron of laughter and bemusement. Seconds later it’s business as usual, the moment of brutality arriving with such ferocity that one fan is catapulted towards the stage with bullish force; his flailing limbs clattering the lighting rig before landing in a heap on the stage.

Whether Bring Me The Horizon have what it takes to outlast a dying scene in which they’re evidently so revered remains to be seen, but tonight they’ve produced more than enough reason the keep the fringe from your eyes.

Ryan Bird.

Brother Ali
Koko
11.07.06

Brother Ali and Slug were back to these shores after only a few months away and came back stronger and better than ever. Last time they came over, Slug had a live band creating his backdrop and Ali had his DJ BK-One on the decks, but this time they both had the same DJ – The one and only Ant! Ant is the beat maker for Atmosphere and does many of the beats for Brother Ali and so, for the first time in the UK it was actually Atmosphere that played [as opposed to Slug appearing as Atmosphere].

Ali kicked off the party in perfect style with his brilliant tracks like Forest Whitaker, Champion, Rain Water and even threw in a track from his upcoming album The Undisputed Truth, which is due out next year. One thing you know when you see Ali is that you’re going to get a smiling, happy emcee who just wants to perform and see the people out there enjoying themselves. As he said during his set, anyone can see a show, you can see a show on tele, but if everyone feels the music and gets hype, then the show turns into a party and that’s what he wanted to see.

Slug came out to the hero worship he must surely be used to from underground hip hop fans and when he blew open the track from Ali’s album Blah Blah Blah, we knew that this wasn’t just any show. And when Ali strode out to be Slug’s hype man for the Atmosphere set, you knew that you were standing inches away from greatness and a show you would never ever forget.

Hitting up the obvious favourites like God Loves Ugly, Fuck You Lucy, Trying To Find A Balance, Slug breezed through the set with ease, talking in between tracks as if the crowd were his best friend. But it was when he threw in older tracks that everyone’s smiles turned into grins and the hands, which were constantly in the air, pumped that little bit harder.

The lights went down, the spotlight beamed down on Slug and he took the hyped crowd down to The Woman With The Tattooed Hands, which didn’t stop the energy and was arguably the loudest sung track of the night by the crowd, but it just showed that he can mix it up, bangers and ballads, and still have the crowd in the palm of his hand.

With Ant chain smoking his way through untold packets of fags, chugging his way through who knows how many beers and generally being the ultimate don that every Atmosphere fan knows he is, Ali bopping around at the back of the stage and Slug being everything that a frontman should be and more, this was better than any other time I’ve seen them. This was, in fact, the best show I’ve ever been to and I can’t see that changing any time soon.

Whilst they might be rapping about partying for the fight to write, we’ll just be partying to their tunes and long may Atmosphere and Ali continue.

Abjekt
[Photos by Jen Saul]

London Mean Fiddler
29.06.06

It must be great fun being in a band as good as Sonic Boom Six. This Mancunian crossover quartet mix genres effortlessly and seamlessly, whether ripping through the vitrolic ska-core of ‘Blood For Oil’ or downing instruments for the triple vocal hip-hop attack of ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do’ – and they certainly get the crowd moving. The Movement don’t fare quite as well, their sharp suits not compensating for the fact that there’s nothing particularly memorable about their scratchy, Jam-esque rock n’ roll.

The Mad Caddies’ popularity seems to have waned in recent years (they have previously sold out the bigger Astoria) but they’re still an entertaining, if somewhat predictable live band. The couple of new tracks aired tonight are fairly typical Caddies fare, but it’s brass-punk nuggets like ‘Macho Nachos’ and the swashbucklers’ anthem ‘Weird Beard’ that get the sweat-drenched crowd bouncing and skanking like monkeys on hot coals. Tonight is all about having fun, and the closing brace of ‘Road Rash’ and ‘All-American Badass’ ensure smiles all around. Till next time, then.

Alex Gosman

Hammersmith Apollo
06.07.06

Pink Floyd belting out over the speakers and a backing group wearing school uniforms aren’t exactly the setting you’d expect from the hip hop chart front runners Gnarls Barkley, but that’s the introduction they got when Cee-Lo bounded on stage in shorts and a school blazer. Dangermouse, the silent partner in the group, slunk from the background to the raised pedestal and manned the decks and other gadgets he had ready to roll.

Go Go Gadget Gospel was the first of their own tracks to blast out and with the drums sounding louder than a firework display, things were rockin’ from the very start. Cee-Lo’s demeanour is one of having fun, he was smiling throughout, even when singing, and he just looked like he wanted to have a good time. As they ran through the album’s strong points, from St Elsewhere to Feng Shui and Necromancing, the backing group grew in stature as they each came to the fore.

The string section sounded awesome and gave real depth to the performance when they were playing, and when they weren’t, they provided perfectly executed dance moves, clapping at their rights and lefts, shimming towards the floor and generally feeling the party-time vibe that was emanating from around them.

The two highlights of the night were the tracks Crazy [unsurprisingly] and new single Smiley Faces which got the desired results as Cee-Lo’s now blazer-less torso bopped and wound its way across the stage, the fantastic light show put on for the set beaming off his toothy grin. Of course, Crazy turned the night into a karaoke sing-a-long and this carried on into the encore which was finished off with an amazing cacophony of noise, bringing the fun to an end.

If you liked the singles, or if you have the album and feel that, then Gnarls bring that same entertainment to their live show. So if you can see them, and the selling out of the Apollo proved many people wanted to, make sure you go. Oh, and take your dancing shoes with you.

Abjekt
[Photo by Jen Saul]

Soil
Camden Underworld
07.06.06

Thousands of Britain’s heavy metal fraternity may be currently pitching tents and sinking pints at Donington, but there’s still enough eager beavers packed into the Underworld tonight to send temperatures soaring to almost unbearable climates. So scorching in fact, that it’s difficult to say whether there’s more free-flowing liquids coming from the beer taps at the bar or the foreheads of those presently in attendance.

But however unsettling the conditions there can be no excuse for the coma-inducing stall set out by Chicago quintet Soil this evening. While their distinct brand of hard rock packs more than the odd punch, it’s delivered with all the visual intensity of a dead fish. Not even a crowd pleasing rendition of old favourite ‘Halo‘ is enough to provoke more than a smattering of applause from those outside the lacklustre pit area.

While Soil may resemble the tiresome younger sibling, Clutch are the perma-cool older brother. One who will pick you up, drive you home and provide a soundtrack of super suave blues-laden rock in the process. With a set consisting heavily of tracks from their recent ‘Robot Hive/Exodus’ album, the band has almost everyone in attendance in the palm of their hand from the off. Front man Neil Fallon is the focal point as ever, jiving and stomping his way across the stage like a man possessed; belting out the likes of ‘Burning Beard‘ and the anthemic ‘Mice & Gods‘ with all the supercharged conviction of a man half his age. It’s therein that lays the true beauty of a Maryland’s finest, because much like many of the finer things in life they remain a band that seemingly only ever improves with age; and as the riotous ‘Cypress Grove‘ erupts with such explosive energy that it threatens to take the roof clean off only a fool would dispute such statements.

As ever, Clutch remain a truly magnificent live spectacle. Here’s hoping they don’t apply the brakes any time soon.

Ryan Bird

The Scare
London Garage
07.06.06

Hey Colossus’ psychedelic drone rock seems out of place on a bill like this, but if you take the time to listen properly, you’ll enjoy losing yourself in their swirling, expansive sound. Unfortunately most of tonight’s punters can’t be bothered, focusing their attention squarely towards the bar instead.

However, their apathy is soon kicked into touch when The Scare hit the stage. This Australian quintet are a revelation; like the bastard lovechild of Gang Of Four and The Stooges at their most fucked-up and abrasive, constantly teetering on the brink of pure sonic warfare. They throw themselves around the stage with wild abandon, singer Kiss Reid occasionally jumping down onto the floor to scream in the faces of the disinterested. Rock n’ roll is supposed to be unpredictable, and The Scare leave many a jaw dropped by trashing their drumkit and then exiting after only twenty minutes onstage. It’s the only suitable conclusion for such a wonderfully chaotic display.

Given that the Drips’ vocalist Matt and guitarist Joby are also members of LA nutjobs The Bronx, it’s no surprise that the Drips take a similarly fast, furious, raw approach to their rock n’ roll. Songs like ‘Downbrown‘ and ‘Triplets’ zip by in a glorious rush of squalling garage-punk mayhem, providing the perfect soundtrack to the sweat-drenched, stage-diving chaos that ensues both onstage and in the crowd. There’s no grandstanding here, no time wasted; just a full-throttle rock n’ roll experience, the likes of which we need more than ever these days.

Alex Gosman

Hyde Park
23.06.06

With a line up that boasted the likes of Sway, Gnarls Barkley, DJ Shadow and Massive Attack, there wasn’t any chance of the day being anything other than brilliant…was there? Well, despite the awesome line up, the abysmal sound set up for the festival meant that the day was certainly nowhere near as good as it could, and should have been.

After a little while mooching about, getting free turns on a PSP and checking out Shorty [I think], we got to the front of the main stage for the chart-topping Gnarls Barkley. Cee-Lo was an awesome front man, waddling around with a beaming smile on his face throughout and finally getting his belly out and telling everyone they loved it. But the problem was that, despite having 3 backing singers, a drummer, a guitarist, a bassist, a keyboard player, a string section AND Dangermouse, you couldn’t hear anything! Crazy was great for the sing-a-long chorus and new single Smiley Faces got some people moving, but it was like listening to a CD in the next room with the door closed.

Moving on, we saw Sway on the second stage. The sound here was a little better because it was enclosed and he ripped through his usual routine of hits and even threw in Parklife [my Blur fanboy radar went off the scale] for good measure. Onto the Myspace tent for Akala and his performance was arguably the best of the day, even though there were only a smattering of people ready for him when he stepped up. I missed him having the whole band backing him as he did at the Barfly show, but he was confident and had fun.

Ignoring Pharrel, we headed back to the second stage to wait for Shadow and caught the end of Damian Marley’s set. It’s amazing how many posh upper-middle-class white people turn into Rastafarians at the mere mention of “Jamaica”. Hearing people with their pink polo shirt collars turned up sing “Owt in de street dey cyall it morda” was entertaining in itself, definitely more so than what was actually on stage. After a 20 minute delay though, and also being crushed into pulp, Shadow came on and I have to say I was disappointed. He didn’t do anything in the first two minutes, save put records on and bop his head. The bass was far too weak and his music suffered as a result, so we buggered off early, back to the main stage.

Massive Attack were the group I went for. The thought of hearing Teardrop, Unfinished Sympathy and Karmacoma live was something I could hardly contain myself for. And yet when they came on and the sound dribbled out of the one set of speakers next to the stage, I knew it wasn’t going to live up to the hype. It’s a shame because the songs are amazing and given the right setting would have stolen any show, and yet nothing sounded as dynamic and forceful as it should. Terry Callier’s beautiful voice was muted and melodies couldn’t be picked out.

This could have been a superb day, and though I had fun, it was more to do with hanging out with my best mate than witnessing brilliant performances. O2 need to get off their mobile phones and get to adding more speakers!

Abjekt
[Photo by Jen Saul]