March 18, 2004

The Dirty Burds follow the pattern of similar female rock groups before them (obvious comparisons with The Donnas come to mind), but this doesn't make them any less enjoyable for trying. Jiggy Burd has all the qualitites of a Grade A frontwoman, but I sadly don't see them making it much further than Camden for all their hard work. In the midst of all their scowling and high kicking there must have been some foul play going on, as Fi-Lo Radio can't stop commenting on the slippery stage... The mixed group prove to be my favourite for the evening, working their way through rock spectrum from the swoony, melodic end, right up to the screamy, scary end. I left soon after headliners My Red Cell came on stage - a combination of a better offer of the pub down the road and their unimpressive "we're the new White Stripes" blues-rock routine makes escape a preferable activity.

PlayLouder Singles Club for free mp3s from the above artists.

February 16, 2004

I was drunkenly encouraged to attend, and I'm certainly glad I got to witness the strength and uncomprimising stage antics of Melissa and crew (which looked to include James Iha?). Finally, a rock chick who doesn't weep with her guitar, who doesn't bow to the latest trend, and one who doesn't feel the need to put on a shambles to attract attention. Melissa Auf der Maur has been in the background for far too long, and she's enjoying the spotlight and the chance for adoration (from a crowd who hadn't heard her yet-to-be-released album or see her live) at long last. All our waiting wasn't in vain.

February 04, 2004

Several people in my office have been going on & on about the genius of Pink Grease for months now, but I'd been less than impressed with their singles. Would the Grease be one of those bands that simply HAD to be seen live to be understood? Would they hell! See them for yourself, and you suddenly understand the cultish obsession of their fans...

Having only seen The Fall two days' previous, I wasn't sure whether they'd be the sort to play the same set twice or do the opposite and not play a single song twice (well, they've got enough material for it!). In reality, it was a blending of both, playing favourites like Open the Box, Sparta FC, and a host of others, including a cover of Walk Like A Man! The effort did not go unnoticed by the majority of the sold-out club, most of whom attended all three nights to worship at the shrine of Mister E. Smith. Seldom playing these days, The Fall sure get it right when they do venture out to the faithful.

February 02, 2004

The last time I saw Jarcrew they reminded me on early Tool. This time they're a creation of their own devising - rock beasts of their caliber don't come along often. Continuing after, Mclusky bring a completely different sort of rock monster. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but starting the set off with Lightsaber Cocksucking Blues was a good way to win me over. The new material sounded more accessible than the forced difficulty of earlier times, at least to these ears. The kings of difficult (categorization) arrived next with the eternally youthful Mark E Smith. Several weeks of studying The Fall's back catalogue meant I still only recognised a few songs out of the whole set, but to be honest, it wouldn't have mattered if I hadn't previously heard a single song.

December 05, 2003

Cassetteboy and DJ Rubbish's mixtapes are legendary, but their live show is full-on comedy theatre. The audio on continuous playback is mimed by a cast of costumes including Geogre Bush and Tony Blair (acting out erotic Harry Potter fanfic, for one), a santa claused Michael Jackson, and a host of tacksuits. Absolute genius, and my face hurt from grinning. In comparison, four men up on stage doing nothing more than playing and low-level humming was never going to be exciting. And it wasn't. Then there was Gescom, who seemed to be more of a loose DJ collective than any one man, but by this point, I was exhausted after 5 nights in a row of musical stimulation, and left to, well, get some sleep.

December 04, 2003

The first time I saw Crack Village they were in silly costumes. My, look at them now - tight, hiphop rhymes, intricate melodies curtousy of Beby Bo, and not a hint of their earlier novelty status. Dabrye follows with much less show but much more agression. His is an awkward performance - he eschews any onstage visuals to allow your ears to fully focus on the assult. Half Aphex Twin and half Kid 606, Dabrye demands your full attention. Last but not least is Gold Chains. The place may only be half full, but every single person is a true member of the GC crew, shaking and shouting with an energy to match Toph's onstage posturing. He took crowd requests, played new material, and stayed attached to the laptops until thye curfew enforcers dragged him off. It was a shame more people weren't there, but the ones who were got one HELL of a show.

December 03, 2003

The song or two I caught of Ella Guru were nice enough - the seated instrumental niceness of their sound brings to mind the latest incarnation of The Delgados, in fact. But before I can make up a true opinion, Joy Zipper are on, and to my huge disappointment, play almost nothing from the stunning American Whip. Unfortunately, the innocent sunkissed pop of their records falls flat in the cold, dark club setting. Perhaps Joy Zipper are the perfect festival band, but the ICA in December is definitely a no-go. Lucky for us then, that Hawksley Workman is a performer par excellence. He effortlessly moves from acoustic ballads to rock to cabaret to pianoed longing, all the while accepting flowers and adoration from the sellout crowd. His performances are ones that incite the firecest loyalty from first-time audiences, and he is NOT to be missed.

December 02, 2003

I will be kicking myself fpr quite some time that I arrived too late to see The Killers, but the good side of this is that I arrived late enough to only catch the last song from the Blueskins. Terrible.

Ikara Colt arrive like a ton of bricks, proving that their new album will be just as great as the previous one. Personel changes have no affect on the quality, and the skeptics are left with nothing but sheepish smiles.

December 01, 2003

Carina Round held the early bird crowd in the palm of her hand. With every flick of her head and growling vocal we stood captivated, entranced by her. She's got the melodies, the personna, and the guts to shake off those early PJ Harvey comparisons. Stardom awaits. Patrick Wolf came next, sporting a U-turn of a haircut and a basket overflowing with songs. His live shows capture the best parts of Lycanthropy, and new songs like "Beastality" make me crave the next album. Finally, the Futureheads finish the night with a full on rock extravaganza, but, not knowing their material as well as Carina and Patrick's, the best they could ever hope for is to come a close third in my mind.

November 25, 2003

I love it when bands play in my backyard! This was a special one-off gig from Frenchy Stereolab fans Margot (fantastic visuals and stunning vocals), and the forever-branded "eclectic" collective, The Chap. Fantastic that thery get better and better each time we cross paths.