Sexy Kids, No Age, Mika Miko - Nice n Sleazy

Missing Sexy Kids ex-Royal We, I bumble into the back of a packed crowd for No Age. Some Winchester folk are here, girls from the original Glasgow Indie Eyespy, folk off of the internet, arty photographer folk and Stew from Beard is here. If Adam's wondering where its at, he's in the wrong place, at Bloc waiting for the Slut of Trust to set up.

On stage there's a chap in a vest stood on a monitor and some guy with a bandana round his neck playing guitar. This is loud chewy guitar, that wraps itself round you and squeezes, so rich and warm. The drums and singing starts. I say singing, there's more shouting involved with a double microphone setup, and not so much drumming, but one handed banging along. Really loud, but really comfortable, there are heads bobbing along.

Even as a support act they had an encore. A noisy building number, with mic-less howling and dying away before exploding again just as I'm my way out for a cigarette.

Mika Miko from Los Angeles (Angeles rhyming with Kellis). Five or six brightly coloured girls, this generations Go-Gos. My favourite was their Belinda Carlisle, bouncing about centre stage with sunglasses, shouting into a red telephone. Also vocals from stage left on regular microphone with sax.

Hey, Rowan's here, I wonder if I can palm off reviewing duty on her.

So, big clunky guitar and punky rock. Sassy too. I've heard the sound before, either run of the mill punk or when I accidentally downloaded their stuff instead of UK chart topper Mika.

They offer a free t-shirt to the first crowd surfer, I'm stood near the back on a stool, wondering if its worth leaping onto the heads of the floorstanders. I haven't been to a crowd surfy gig in years. Everyone used to do it. I remember Paddy tried crowd surfing to Whipping Boy at Manchester Uni in '95 or was it China Drum, either way he ended up on the floor in pain and I was snogging a Rachel.

Some promo folk from Corona are making a fuss at the back, whilst Mika Miko launch into a bass-heavy final song. I can't see the stage, but it sounds like there's plinky plonk keyboards in there.

Squeely excitable shouty stuff.

Nice to see the bands got paid, not sure about venue hire mind.

Photies
here
here

Threads
here

Extreme Animals, Voice Like Bones - Transmission Gallery

Some kind of Nuts and Seeds related night at the Transmission Gallery, which now appears to be above the 13th Note, rather than on the corner with all the chalk graffiti.

Its a big dark and empty room, arty hipster types and, dare I say it, monotypes are in attendance, short girls with tight jeans and those hairstyles, boys with scruffy hair and coloured trousers.

Giles, formerly of Dananananaykroyd, introduces the first act, presumably Voice Like Bones.

The room darkens further and the video projection comes on, a 3 minute mashed loop of arty clips, juxtaposing and colour switching, angels and children deconstruction. The sound comes from a chap with a table loaded with boxes and cables, distortion, reverb, tone and noise generators, and a cymbal wired up to it somehow.

Rather neat bass, you can hear the speakers struggling. Dull throbbing, almost like trains passing, thuds, clunks and whirrs, deafening at points.

Girls with small digital cameras on oversized tripods taking flashless photies of the crowd. One wonders if this is one of those pisstakery art happenings where the performance is in the reaction of the crowd rather than what is happening on stage.

Stew from Beard magazine is here.

Headlining tonight are Extreme Animals, two American chaps very slowly make their way to the stage on pretend zimmerframes. I say stage, its just a lit up area in the middle of the room, between speakers, where a drum kit and a flightcase of electronics have been set up.

Loud fast raucous stuff, backing synths with live drums from 'Dave' and distorted vocals and synth noodles from the other chap.

Having a whale of a time. I can't make out any of the lyrics, but there's lots of moshing and shouting. Twinkly keyboards sound a bit like KLF's cathedral.

They entice the audience nearer withfist fulls of fake money, and when the microphone fails, everythings pretty good humoured with teh wsinger chatting to the crowd about the reasons for them playing tonight, whilst a spare is found.

Comedy dance moves mid-song an as requested by an audience member some dirty dancing in a corner before the final song of the night.

Very likeable people, with nice, enjoyable, but disposable electric music.

Reviews
here

USA is a Monster, Germlin, Household - 13th Note

Ah, a door money dude who appreciates exact change. Often overlooked, sometimes this can be vital. In the past gigs have been cancelled due to lack of change, but not tonight.

Stew from Beard is here, maybe this show will get two reviews.

Odd piercings and facial hair in the crowd tonight, but they all seem rather healthy.

Household are on first, a four-piece with a girl drummer, does that technically make them a three-piece? The first song launches into scratchy vocals and guitar which some might describe as 'blistering'. They do pour a lot of treacly vitriol into their songs. 'Raw' would be another word to use when writing a review.

Although harse sounding, there are wee melodic bits, even reggae breaks. I guess this is what it would feel like to be a Toblerone.

A girl walks in who bares a striking resemblance to Magic Tea off of the internet and there are at least three people here who look like my cousin.

Aw man, Household have so much paraphernalia, its taking a whole team of roadies to clear the stage for Germlin who will be a solo performer, man and laptop as one.

Germlin is an eight year old boy with a keyboard and Apple linked together so they make a noise like 'MOWM' or just noise. Sometimes he gets so lost in the music that he has to do toddler gymnastics, somersaults and worms.

It the way he's crouched on the floor with everyone crowded round except the chap who's dancing crazily, its very disarming. If it were anyone else the audience would have fled, scared.

Guitarist from USA is a Monster looks like a Klingon. The first couple of tunes, less tunes, but had a good beat. The crowd dancing looked like grouchin'.

Ooh, Anastasia's here and Andy too. I think they've seen the band before.

Nifty guitar work, but the vocals are lost on me. Its all driving, pounding and gnawing, it gets in your head like a tent peg.

OMG!!! There's a girl standing at the other side of the room with her fingers in her ears. I'm leaving in disgust.