HDIF : Veronica Falls - Jamm

Well, the deadpool's almost overflowing this evening, Swells, Farrah and now Michael Jackson. I had wacko jacko pegged to last until a ripe old age, its a shame really.

Anyhoo, on with this evening's show...

A generation ago I bumped into the junior lifesaver one evening at the 13th Note, I vaguely recall him conspiring to form a Tallulah Gosh tribute band, ginger Allen was to play drums and Enzo Menoni was going to play bass. God knows what happened to those guys, but Wee Patrick followed through and tonight Matthew, Veronica Falls are going to be Tallulah Gosh.

I know its just the reverb on the vocals that makes it sparkly, and Patrick's motown drumming. Or maybe its the girls in the audience stomping along, but its all magical.

I love the way Roxanne is so deadpan when she's singing, then there the merest hint of a smile when she plays guitar, and her little bewildered expression after each noodly bit.

HDIF Ian's championing them, and I reckon there's still time to get them slotted on the Indietracks bill.

HDIF : The 18 Carat Love Affair - Jamm

There's a poster that says Utah Saints are playing at Jamm soon. I've never seen them, should I make an effort to, twenty years too late? They were always a less pretentious KLF, more dance, less art. It'll be worth it for completiests sake.

On stage this evening, The 'Affair are missing their drummer, he's a Glastobore, so we have guitar providing rhythm. The vocals are that boy/girl shouty thing that Sons and Daughters do. They are very relaxed on stage, I guess without the drummer, its not quite a proper gig, but its nice.

The bass player is forgoing his axe and just bears a tamborine and some pink plastic sunglasses.

There used to be this Irish band called Turn who hung around with and were consumed by Idlewild. 18 Carat Love Affair sound like them this evening, but with melodica. Piano and engrossing, stark vocals. They sound like Scunner too, but without the makeup and costumes.

My favourite song of their set is the one where Nobby the guitarist plays a bicycle pump, the atmospheric side of it tramples over any novelty value.

HDIF : Mascot Fight - Jamm

The second band tonight are Mascot Fight. Five lads with this year's answer to indie haircuts, and broadly jangly guitars, bass player with his strap-length set to 'short'.

The wee noodly guitar bit are nice when the rest of the band go quiet. Some at the back shouts out "I like that one". I do too.

I also like the way the keyboard jockey looks comfortable on stage during the songs where he doesn't play. Its usually difficult to pull that off.

Its been so long since I was at a gig, that I've lost all sense of reference points. With that in mind, this mob are 15% tighter than the last band, but 5% less fun. I imagine if they had a CD, it would be mostly brown with blue and gold trim.

I think they sound a little like Wake The President, storming guitars, but with a good sense of space, and wailing.

HDIF: The Give It Ups - Jamm

Its a blisteringly hot day outside, flying ant day in some parts. My first gig since the start of May, it feels like along time.

That songkick website's made me miss live music so much. Going to gigs is such a big part of me, there's a hole that needs filling. And I need another gig under my belt to beat Gloomboy. Its not supposed to be competitive, is it?

So I'm at Jamm in Brixton, was going to bring the missus along, but she's off shopping in Watford this evening, so I'm on my own, crouched at the corner of the bar, beer nearby, head buried in writing.

The first band of this How Does It Feel night are The Give It Ups, still soundchecking, but the weather's nice out, its almost a shame to herd everyone indoors.

I vaguely recall them being jolly good fun last time I saw them, vague memories of songs about dinosaurs.(or was that MJ Hibbett?)

Not sure if this is relevant to the review, but shortly before the 'Ups start I move from the corner of the bar to a dark corner near the sound guy. Here's hoping that before I stick this online, I edit out all the non-reviewy bits.

They start with a new song, a shouty little number called "Why won't you go out with me". The ghost of The Supernaturals would be spinning in its grave, if it wasn't busy haunting The Hussys. I think I'm trying to say the song sounds like 'Smile'.

I like the way the drummer and the bass player swap round between songs, they're like both new band members or something, right?

Also, the band rock out just a little more than I remember from last time, and occasionally invoke the spirit of a Weezer b-side, there's a little of the slacker hip about them.

Aw man, I've got it: -

A cross between Rivers Como and Victoria Wood.

HDIF: Butcher Boy - The Luminaire

My ladyfriend thinks that Butcher Boy sound nicer than Cats on fire, more gentle, its elegant. Its the strings and the melodica that do it.

Some tunes are bouncy and some lull you to sleep.

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HDIF: Cats On Fire - The Luminaire

Cats on Fire a little better than they were the other night.

Oh aren't I the prettiest boy in the playground.

Does a pouty thing like what an ex- in Glasgow used to do.

My attractive young ladyfriend was giggling and blushing after every song, but she did say she thinks I look like the guitarist, so thats kind of okay.

Keyboard girl looks like a twelve year old, that can't be right.

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HDIF: Pocketbooks - The Luminaire

We wander in a few moments into Pocketbooks's first song, the sound guy still tweaking the vocals.

Hmm, there's something awkward about the gaps between songs tonight.

Ooh occasionally flashes of Saint Etienne, their projection of London.

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HDIF presents: Hexicon - Jamm

I'd nipped out to get a kebab, my first food of the day, small lamb donner, it was very nice and meaty.

This means I missed the first song or two from Hexicon. Four-piece, two guitars, bass and drums, vocals remind me of Joe MacAlinden. Indiekids probly have a better reference, but I've been listening to Superstar all day, the rhythms sound and the brief snatches of passion come from that place. Although without the keyboards or the epic solos.

Its a bit navel-gazingish and laid back. Ooh, the other guitarist, who played with last band, Allo Darlin, he does vocal duties for some songs.

As the set progresses the more I of a mind of Superstar, the guitar becomes more like wee Jim's, and the monster wig-out at the end just builds and builds and gnaws into your head, with a feedbacky drum avalanche climax.

HDIF presents: Allo Darlin - Jamm

Elizabeth Darling and three chaps on stage, she's stood in the middle with her ukelele and her head tilted slightly to the side as she sings.

Its a kind of breathy dreamy singing that holds the room enraptured. Friendly and smilie.

Her first song comparing a relationship to a Woody Allen movie ticks the sames boxes as usual: pop culture references, characteristic rhymes.

When the chaps on guitar, bass and percussion join in it punctuates the delicate melodies

Ooh, slide guitar.

And for the next song Monster Bobby takes to the stage. "When I wrote this song I thought it sounded just like The Field Mice, even though it sounds nothing like The Field Mice". Monster Bobby sounds like a budget Nick Cave when he sings.

I like the way Elizabeth occasionally lifts one foot off the ground when she sings.

The last song is very upbeat, it starts with drums that sound like The Strokes, its going to be released by WeePop as an orange 7" single. It has amusing falsetto backing vacals from Will the bass player.

HDIF: Even As We Speak, Mexican Kids At Home, Hong Kong In The 60s - Jamm

I'm very sorry, I missed the first band on, The Give It Ups, they're one of my favourite cartoon bands too, listen to their songs on MySpace. It was turning twilight when I got to Brixton, handfuls of indie kids stood outside enjoying the evening, inside it was dark and warmer, a band on stage.

Hong Kong In The 60s


Mexican Kids At home


Even As We Speak

HDIF: Darren Hayman and Jack Hayter, The Voluntary Butler Scheme, Saturday Looks Good to Me - Luminaire

I'll cover the overarching LNFGIES narrative later in the review, just be patient.

I wandered into the pub to see Ken from The Red Bulldozers getting a big jug cocktail with three straws for rapid consumption, on the telly the Netherlands just scored against France, and a few minutes later, outside, I meet my friend Paul from the Martial Arts, who bears news that world domination is one step closer, The Plimps were played on Radio Six earlier, just after The School (download snatch MP3 here)

Inside the venue, The Voluntary Butler Scheme is on stage, an array of keyboards and synths and half a drum kit obscuring a lone floppy haired chap doing warm and tender tunes, sounding a little bit one man bandish, especially when he pulls out a uke and a kazoo.

Okay, at first I wasn't so taken, but the last few songs were pure genius with a loop pedal. Some folk do loop pedals badly, but VBS is this century's answer to Beck, but dub, comedy, novelty and blues. Elements of White Town maybe, and judicious use of novelty toy effects.

The last song was brilliant, the throbbing blues run through, with the devil in the oven and a droning bass around the 5Hz bowel loosening frequency which will never be audible on MP3 or your iPod headphones.

Chatting with Paul about the next steps in world domination, persuading Londonish promoters to take them onboard perhaps. The room is filling up, folk off of the internet are nearby and the Wee Pop gang are in the room.

Saturday Looks Good To Me on next, a wee bit too loud and the mix was a bit off when we stood at the back, but Paul dragged me into the warm embrace of the music at the front. A three piece guitar/keyboards band, wholesom and much like you'd expect a Hefner support act to be.

Sorry to be a pain, but a few songs in, I noticed something which probably happens all the time, but here its one of two overwhelming things I noticed during the set. The guy singing rests his nose on the microphone. Look out for it if you ever see Saturday Looks Good To Me. Like I've seen singers jam the mic into their gobs, but I've never noticed the nose thing. The next song they played after I noticed this bears heavily the phrase '...everybody nose...'

The second overwealming thing of the thing, was nothing to do with the band, I was glancing about the stage, how although it was raise, there were steps leading downwards to it, I don't know why, but it reminded me of The Cathouse in Glasgow. And I remembered the last time I was there, Nastily was my companion and there was chaos in the shadows. We'd just been to see 300 and it was the start of our relationship.

All ages ago now, and miles away.

Darren Hayman and Jack Hayter take to the stage to play Hefner songs. Regular and dedicated readers of this blog will already be familiar with my previous Darren Hayman reviews here and here, there's a bit of a continuing narrative.

I stand near the front blocking the view of the folk behind, and although I there are many fine songs, I don't engage. I recognise the odd song, but this is essentially a Hefner greatest hits set, for the fans, for the folk who saw them countless times and bought countless EPs and albums. The sing along and notice when Darren forgets his lines, they cheer when he plays their favourite songs.

After the show, there was to be a How Does It Feel club night, but most of the crowd wander off, and whilst some stick around nursing their drinks, they too drift away until the DJ kills the music, and there are less than a dozen souls left.

To my right is Paul from the Martial Arts and his friends, and to my left are some friends off of the internet and the girl.

Bands
The Voluntary Butler Scheme
Saturday Looks Good To Me
Darren Hayman

HDIF and Pop-Art: Butcher Boy, Brontosaurus Chorus, And What Will Be Left Of Them?, Plans And Apologies - Metro

I wanna be a zombie tonight, a mindless drone on someone else's auto-pilot. I want to not feel anything. I want to sit in the dark and scribble incoherently. To this end, I've only slept for three hours since yesterday's Just Joans gig, I've only consumed one large cappucino since the and I've spent the past five hours wandering round Shoreditch trying to find both Rough Trade and the New Sensations exhibition.

Other than a dull throbbing pain in my feet, I feel nothing. NPL John, I am your blank canvas.

When I arrive at the venue there's already a kick ass band onstage, their music so much potential to be richly textured.

There was a sign on the door saying no photography without permission and after seeing one chap get escorted out by brutal looking security woman I'm not going to risk it, instead this review will be filled with stock photos of Plimptons gigs and in a vaguely ironic twist a Plimpton at the NPL club night in Glasgow, as run by Butcher Boy's John.

So this first mob on stage, I don't catch their name, but they have CDs for sale which the say contain better songs than what they're playing tonight. Lets assume that's a positive thing.

Their last song is quite a funky number, with jazzy guitar noodles and drums ripped out of the Dananananaykroyd songbook. It rather neatly breaks into pounding driving rhythms too, rah!!

They have a lot of support in the crowd, cheering for an encore from the first band of the night.

Elsewhere on the internet the guy at Unpopular was moaning about gigs with too many bands and how it'd be neat if there were more gigs with only two bands rather than this sort of four band bill. I agree.

Next on stage are some mob who have a release, the debut release on the Pop Art label. They launch straight into the deep end. Noisy guitar, Blow Up organ and riot grrl vocals from a young lady dancing like the sixties weren't 40 years ago. Gimme some doop.

Its loud yelpy music, surprisingly bold for the five people on stage, carefully measuring out the guitar nouse, noodles and organ.

On the underground on the way here there was this girl who looked like Heather Graham, and whilst her appearance in Twin Peaks as an ex-nun love interest for agent Dale Cooper signaled the jumping of the shark moment for the series, at this gig she walks past and suddenly I see Mop Girl, an old Glasgow ex-pat who I have't seen for about 18 years and Sam Babies from the first place. Thor is here and the Just joans materialise beside me. With no spiked drink spewing girl I'm in a bright and sunny parallel universe.

On the merchy desk the chap from The Pop Art Allstars is selling and I'm almost tempted to buy a copy of the band on stage's take on 21st century Le Tigre, instead I retreat to a dark corner to scribble.

Third band of the night are Brontosaurus Chorus and they fill me with joy, all seven of them on stage. I think they are the same people as the Pop Art Allstars but with Jona and the merchy dude.

They have trumpets and violin and cello and they fill me with joy. Even the singing girl who looks like Idlestar. They invite folk from the previous band up for songs and there's so much joy in it, I'm both drunk and gleeful. They're like the Hermit Crabs without the whine or Camera Obscure for the new DIY indiepop generation.

The Felt Tips are here, blocking my scribbling light. NPL John comes over and says hi, the past six years of going to his club night have finally paid off.

I was in the Rough Trade supermarket today and I saw the Hermit Crabs album on Matinee and along with news that The Royal We are signed to Domino/Geographic and Dananananaykroyd are the toast of the NME. Its kind of like we are the kings. Sometimes the light catches it just so, and to steal from the Midlands, everything is sparkly.

Its the emotional equivalent of taking e when Butcher Boy take to the stage and whilst when they start the random girls stood behind me and to te right are talking about Dallas or Dynasty, by the halfway stage I'm catching snatches of conversation which progress along the lines of "...like the Proclaimers..." but then drifts into the territory of "...that Glasgow thing..." and "... Delgados... and Sebastian" Which is maybemore accurate. but this mob on stage are sharper. They're the guys that the 'Seb and the 'Scura dance to and write songs about. They wrote the algorithm and perfected it.

Whilst Brontosaurus Chorus had me in indiepop tears, Butcher Boy are stadium heros, Los Angeles will come to a standstill when they get there.

Violin riffs for your mind and the razor sharp lilt in John's vocals. The driving rhythm that doesn't just drive, it carries along in a chocolate bowlie filled satchel.

Here, tonight we all win. How big and for real can they make it?

Cut the crap, the Franz were just a scouting party, Scottish world domination is unstoppable for a third time.

And when I look up, my drunken hyperbol is only a wee bit diminished.


Photies
here

Reviews
here
here