Cowley Club, Brighton
26.09/.09
This gig is early doors as there’s a club night afterwards, and when I rock-up at 7.30PM the Cowley is already rammed, and the first band The Human Race are playing. I can’t see them, but I can hear them. And their fuzzed chaotic sounds are pretty good, echoes of The Birthday Party and Scientists.
When they finish I grab a bottle of Westons and squeeze down the front, and next up are London trio Male Bonding. Great name, even more so if they played testosterone-fuelled macho Hardcore. In fact, these hipsters bash out fast paced quirky tunes that are for the most-part quite simplistic, but clear effort has gone to give each number a distinct buzz of its own. Really catchy melodic music, and nothing not to like about them. I asked my mate Mike what he thought… “were they Punk, New Wave, Pop”? he pondered! He settled on Pop, good Pop. And we then started talking about the merits of The Descendents… before…
Lovvers. There is a sardine-tight jam eagerly awaiting this quartet from the smoke. I’ve not seen them before so am definitely all-ears. They start in solid fashion, with ringing loud guitar and sloppy punk’n’roll hooks… definite echoes of The Wipers and Real Kids that my mate Mike has claimed they allegedly sound like, minutes before they start. These are bands whose music is hardwired in to my central musical system, I should be digging this. There is no stage, the band is in our faces and the singer is right in the throng, initially resplendent in snappy green shades.
Unfortunately, it’s his vocals that, as the short set proceeds, are the weak link for me. Not enough power and too hidden in the mix. Maybe it sounded better at the back? That said, what was lacking in the vocal dept. was easily compensated by the excellent guitarist whose Greg Sage styled riffage was top notch and held it all together. After maybe 20 minutes only though, it all came to an abrupt end to make way for the diskofunkelectrokitschpunk… !!!
I need to see Lovvers again… they were fun and energetic, but I wasn’t getting the killer instant impact of say The Shitty Limits, UV Race or Eddy Current Suppression Ring. But I’ll be back… for more.
Pete Craven