Saturday 5 July 2008

Holiday Romance, Seawolf, Bamboojuice, Kristeenyoung, The Gresham Flyers - Water Rats

Shit, I forgot its one of these eight bands on the bill places. God knows who I've missed. The first band I caught, Holiday Romance, possibly sound just like Echobelly, but sadly the sound man had them mixed like a fog horn.
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I only caught their last few songs, the singing girl was kinda cute in her fluorescent pink skirt. More of that sort of thing.

Next up... Bamboojuice, sounding refreshingly like Europe, strangely homoerotic too, the red hot call and response thing turned me on a wee bit
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The main singing chap keeps twitching, I'm not an expert on tardive dyskinesia, but if thats what it is, I'm sorry.

Sometimes they sounded like Living on the Edge-era Aerosmith.

Kristeenyoung on next, a two piece, they looked rockabilly as did half the folk in their crowd. A little Kate Bush or Queen Adreena-ish, angry singing girl. Just drums and a keyboard. She wear a hat at a jaunty angle and a dress made of over-sized jigsaw pieces.
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Moments of singing like Jennifer Rush or possibly The Yeah Yeah Yeahs innit

Ooh, MJ Hibbett is here, its always a good gig if he's in the crowd. I missed his monthly acoustic thing at The Lamb last week, but he's got a gig next week at The Cross Kings.

The sun was shining brightly earlier today, I was listening to the new Just Joans EP and I know their love is true. But right now, at this gig, I love the Gresham Flyers so much. I want to hold them tightly and smell their hair as I nuzzle their neck and clamp both my hands on their ass. We'd hold each other for just a moment, just so we can remember what could have been.

But you know, I was wandering home after this gig, but before I'd typed up all this, with their Higher Education in my ears and my eyes all welling up with its beauty, then they came as floods of tears when I listened to the lyrics of Shiftwork for the first time. Oh god, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.

They hit the stage, Waz is wearing two ties and there appears to be a new drummer in place. the place is pretty much packed to capacity and the crowd are going crazy. I know, cos I was there.
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They play most of the new album, Sex With Strangers, in the shops around the 21st July, and a couple of songs I swear aren't on it.

Played live, Shiftwork really suits Waz's voice and reminds me of The Younger Younger 28s done properly. Also loving Sharon's yelps in Cricket Bat. The last minute addition of wrestling face masks made it all the more perfect.
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Ooh, ooh, they played that one that starts like Another Girl, Another Planet. I love that one, no idea what its called.
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Alas, no time for an encore, the next band need to set up. Twats at the bar, once you've been served, you can fuck off, especially if I'm waiting in the queue behind you.

The final act I see before I fuck off are possibly called Seawolf. They sound like The Owsley Sunshine done in the style of Oasis's Importance of Being Idle or maybe just Status Quo meets Bruce Springsteen.

And with that I step out of Water Rats and plug into my ipod.

Other reviews of this gig
MJ Hibbett

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