Electrophonvintage
Allo Darlin'
Lets Whisper
Friday, 18 July 2008
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Twee as Fuck All-dayer
I arrived a wee bit early and at the door they give me a fanzine to read and a cupcake. A warm fuzzy feeling spreads out in my tummy. The cupcake has white gooey sugar icing on top and the word "twee" painstakingly written in blue flowing script.
The weather is fine outside, but before long the first band are onstage.
The Mai 68s
Guitar solos like a rusty stanley knife blade, like on the ground near the bins outside a factory, in the rain. Thunderous guitar and bass, with standy up drumer and slightly bewildered looking singing girl in a stripey top, wearing beret and drinking glasses of red wine.
Ithink I saw them play at The Betsy Trotwood a few months ago. They suit the raised stage that this venue offers and they seem to improved their game. The recorded version of Froth on the Daydream doesn't do justice to its sheer power when played live, it'll make you take a step and a half backwards and wish you'd got wine instead of a Jack Daniels and coke.
Even for the first band of the Twee As Fuck alldayer, the place is filling up and there's friendly banter between the stage and the folk at the front.
Neat set-closing song with members leaving the stage incrementally so all that's left is the guitar chap on his knees, tweaking the dials on his effects pedals to turn up the squelch on the thunder.
The Margarets, they're very young, no drummer, just a portable CD player, the ipod broke, I can empathise. The first number was an instrumental, from where I was stood it sounded a bit New Orderish, especially in the bass end of the scale.
The Margarets
There was a bit of the Swedish jangle pop about them.
CD player cocked up their last song so they had to abandon it halfway through which would have ended the set on a sour note if it wasn't for Camila (from Weepop and Your Heart Still Breaks) demanding they finish the song again without any backing. It caught them off guard a wee bit, but ended up sounding kind of sweet.
There's this art exhibition upstairs Pavla's Twee as Fuck Polaroids and Nicola Probert art exhibition. It pretty neat.
There's also a new smoking bit roof garden thing which overlooks the alley next to The MacBeth. A bit too crowded and cool for me though. I stay downstairs, leaning on the bar trying to stave off narcolepsy.
Mono Taxi
Mono Taxi are just a two piece, drums and guitar, with both folk doing vocals. For the early songs I was thinking they were cast in the White Stripes mould, you know, a little blues, a little garage. But it got more bombastic in the middle, stadium drum mincing.
Lots of healthy feedback and distorted guitar. yay
Little My
18 instruments / microphones
13 camera people
Its the mighty Little My collective again. The bass bunny still looks like Laura Palmer from Twin Peaks, I was discussing t with a chap off of the internet, who pointed out that Laura Palmer never had rabbit ears, and neither did her identical cousin Maddy.
They took forever to get set up and even then, for a seven piece with literally hundreds of instruments, there wasn't as much noise from the stage as you'd expect. Two glocks, stylophone, melodica, egg shakersand all the best of twee paraphernalia, but what you heard was mostly guitar.
Ah well.
It would be interesting to see them play on their home turf in Cardiff with however many extra members as they muster back there.
I saw Esiotrot practising in an alley round the corner during my inbetween band wandering and they sounded prety neat, trombone, ukelele, guitar. It was nice.
Esiotrot
However, on stage, they are atrocious.
They are out of tune, badly mixed, drifting in and out of lucidity. I don't know what to say. Maybe I just don't get them. What I do get is this must be one of their worse performances.
I'm scribbling this in the gallery upstairs and I can see the street outside, I can see Laura Palmer from Little My, she is very cute. A chap called Alexander wanders over and suggests I draw a picture of Esiotrot, and goes on to explain that he's in a band called To Arms Etc. I had a listen on MySpace when I was typing this up, they sound very good, they have a gig on the 31st of July.
Oh thank fuck, I think Esiotrot played a three song set.
The Bobby McGees
Skip Theatre
Hatcham Social
Theoretical Girl
Comet Gain
Acts
The Mai 68s
The Margarets
Mono Taxi
Little My
Esiotrot
Photies
Mine
Dansette's
CraigBoney's
The weather is fine outside, but before long the first band are onstage.
The Mai 68s
Guitar solos like a rusty stanley knife blade, like on the ground near the bins outside a factory, in the rain. Thunderous guitar and bass, with standy up drumer and slightly bewildered looking singing girl in a stripey top, wearing beret and drinking glasses of red wine.
Ithink I saw them play at The Betsy Trotwood a few months ago. They suit the raised stage that this venue offers and they seem to improved their game. The recorded version of Froth on the Daydream doesn't do justice to its sheer power when played live, it'll make you take a step and a half backwards and wish you'd got wine instead of a Jack Daniels and coke.
Even for the first band of the Twee As Fuck alldayer, the place is filling up and there's friendly banter between the stage and the folk at the front.
Neat set-closing song with members leaving the stage incrementally so all that's left is the guitar chap on his knees, tweaking the dials on his effects pedals to turn up the squelch on the thunder.
The Margarets, they're very young, no drummer, just a portable CD player, the ipod broke, I can empathise. The first number was an instrumental, from where I was stood it sounded a bit New Orderish, especially in the bass end of the scale.
The Margarets
There was a bit of the Swedish jangle pop about them.
CD player cocked up their last song so they had to abandon it halfway through which would have ended the set on a sour note if it wasn't for Camila (from Weepop and Your Heart Still Breaks) demanding they finish the song again without any backing. It caught them off guard a wee bit, but ended up sounding kind of sweet.
There's this art exhibition upstairs Pavla's Twee as Fuck Polaroids and Nicola Probert art exhibition. It pretty neat.
There's also a new smoking bit roof garden thing which overlooks the alley next to The MacBeth. A bit too crowded and cool for me though. I stay downstairs, leaning on the bar trying to stave off narcolepsy.
Mono Taxi
Mono Taxi are just a two piece, drums and guitar, with both folk doing vocals. For the early songs I was thinking they were cast in the White Stripes mould, you know, a little blues, a little garage. But it got more bombastic in the middle, stadium drum mincing.
Lots of healthy feedback and distorted guitar. yay
Little My
18 instruments / microphones
13 camera people
Its the mighty Little My collective again. The bass bunny still looks like Laura Palmer from Twin Peaks, I was discussing t with a chap off of the internet, who pointed out that Laura Palmer never had rabbit ears, and neither did her identical cousin Maddy.
They took forever to get set up and even then, for a seven piece with literally hundreds of instruments, there wasn't as much noise from the stage as you'd expect. Two glocks, stylophone, melodica, egg shakersand all the best of twee paraphernalia, but what you heard was mostly guitar.
Ah well.
It would be interesting to see them play on their home turf in Cardiff with however many extra members as they muster back there.
I saw Esiotrot practising in an alley round the corner during my inbetween band wandering and they sounded prety neat, trombone, ukelele, guitar. It was nice.
Esiotrot
However, on stage, they are atrocious.
They are out of tune, badly mixed, drifting in and out of lucidity. I don't know what to say. Maybe I just don't get them. What I do get is this must be one of their worse performances.
I'm scribbling this in the gallery upstairs and I can see the street outside, I can see Laura Palmer from Little My, she is very cute. A chap called Alexander wanders over and suggests I draw a picture of Esiotrot, and goes on to explain that he's in a band called To Arms Etc. I had a listen on MySpace when I was typing this up, they sound very good, they have a gig on the 31st of July.
Oh thank fuck, I think Esiotrot played a three song set.
The Bobby McGees
Skip Theatre
Hatcham Social
Theoretical Girl
Comet Gain
Acts
The Mai 68s
The Margarets
Mono Taxi
Little My
Esiotrot
Photies
Mine
Dansette's
CraigBoney's
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Monday, 7 July 2008
Molloy, The Kick Inside, Sparky's Magic Piano, Indurain - The Enterprise
I walk in two songs from the end of Molloy's set, they look and sound new wave, the stripped down sort with 80s legwarmers and glitter star facepaint. All jaggy guitar and excitment. I wish I'd come earlier.
I'm sat at the side, scribbling, the DJ has put on the Scaremongers, ooh, that was the last time I saw Sparky's and now there's this cute girl sat right next to me. My mind races, reaching for a reason not to start a conversation, there's got to be some reason, think, think, think. Bugger.
Luckily some other guy comes along and engages. Success!!
I went for a wander down Camden way between bands, and had a think, the best I could come up with was "she looked very young" and "she was probably praying I wouldn't try to chat her up".
Aw shit, she's stood right in front of me.
Ooh, there are people off of the internet here, real internet people, not indiepop folk, but the sort of people with @ before their names.
The next band on are a four piece from Bristol, The Kick Inside, pretty neat, very stripped down sound, few effects, a little ska, but the vocals have something of the Morrissey about them.
Hard to judge stand out tracks, apart from the Wedding Present cover, but I'll have to give their MySpace a listen.
There are other notebook scribbling folk here, I have competition.
Joy.
Feel strangely obliged to write more than the other person.
So yeah, last time I saw Sparky's Magic Piano, it was at the old Gresham Flyers show where my dramatic rise to fame as a presenter for The Culture Show started. Whatever happened to The Scaremongers? I knew it, I knew the whole TV thing was just a publicity stunt for Armitage's book.
Pretty shameless really. If you wanna make it in the indiepop scene you gotta play lots of gigs, and indietracks.
Sparky's Magic Piano on stage. From left to right:- microphone with guitarist / effects / synth, then a glass of wine, xylophone (possibly glockenspiel) and smiley singing girl.
I love the way she smiles when she sings. Other people smile when they sing, but here she looks like just really likes singing. Also it coms across in the warmth of their sound, and every so often there are little flashes of dimples. eeep!
Guitar with reverb that builds and builds, but even then mixed so that its the same level as the glock.
Its happy music for overcast days. One day I'll buy the album.
Between bands, when not avoiding the cute girl, I've been lurking in quiet corners, only to have really tall people stood in front of me, and then their friends join them and crowd me out of my quiet corner.
I know a couple of people in the crowd, but none of these folk, for these chaps are the headliners, Indurain, and they are from Sweden.
The spend about five minutes too long setting up their kit, laptops and a projector. The screen is a sheet taped to the usual backdrop curtains.
My friend Robbie would love these guys, they sounded a little like Suburban Kids with Biblical Names, but with less computer geek and more arthouse cinema. Best sound of any of the bands of the night, dancy and rousing.
They get a friend of the band from some other band, I fail to catch the name of, up to sing, in French.
Is it all trying too hard? I found myself getting lost in the backdrop films, and not listening to the music, getting distracted.
When they finish, I slip out quickly without saying goodbye to my friends.
Not sure why not sometimes.
Bands
Molloy
The Kick Inside
Sparky's Magic Piano
Indurain
Photies
mine
tomb242
I'm sat at the side, scribbling, the DJ has put on the Scaremongers, ooh, that was the last time I saw Sparky's and now there's this cute girl sat right next to me. My mind races, reaching for a reason not to start a conversation, there's got to be some reason, think, think, think. Bugger.
Luckily some other guy comes along and engages. Success!!
I went for a wander down Camden way between bands, and had a think, the best I could come up with was "she looked very young" and "she was probably praying I wouldn't try to chat her up".
Aw shit, she's stood right in front of me.
Ooh, there are people off of the internet here, real internet people, not indiepop folk, but the sort of people with @ before their names.
The next band on are a four piece from Bristol, The Kick Inside, pretty neat, very stripped down sound, few effects, a little ska, but the vocals have something of the Morrissey about them.
Hard to judge stand out tracks, apart from the Wedding Present cover, but I'll have to give their MySpace a listen.
There are other notebook scribbling folk here, I have competition.
Joy.
Feel strangely obliged to write more than the other person.
So yeah, last time I saw Sparky's Magic Piano, it was at the old Gresham Flyers show where my dramatic rise to fame as a presenter for The Culture Show started. Whatever happened to The Scaremongers? I knew it, I knew the whole TV thing was just a publicity stunt for Armitage's book.
Pretty shameless really. If you wanna make it in the indiepop scene you gotta play lots of gigs, and indietracks.
Sparky's Magic Piano on stage. From left to right:- microphone with guitarist / effects / synth, then a glass of wine, xylophone (possibly glockenspiel) and smiley singing girl.
I love the way she smiles when she sings. Other people smile when they sing, but here she looks like just really likes singing. Also it coms across in the warmth of their sound, and every so often there are little flashes of dimples. eeep!
Guitar with reverb that builds and builds, but even then mixed so that its the same level as the glock.
Its happy music for overcast days. One day I'll buy the album.
Between bands, when not avoiding the cute girl, I've been lurking in quiet corners, only to have really tall people stood in front of me, and then their friends join them and crowd me out of my quiet corner.
I know a couple of people in the crowd, but none of these folk, for these chaps are the headliners, Indurain, and they are from Sweden.
The spend about five minutes too long setting up their kit, laptops and a projector. The screen is a sheet taped to the usual backdrop curtains.
My friend Robbie would love these guys, they sounded a little like Suburban Kids with Biblical Names, but with less computer geek and more arthouse cinema. Best sound of any of the bands of the night, dancy and rousing.
They get a friend of the band from some other band, I fail to catch the name of, up to sing, in French.
Is it all trying too hard? I found myself getting lost in the backdrop films, and not listening to the music, getting distracted.
When they finish, I slip out quickly without saying goodbye to my friends.
Not sure why not sometimes.
Bands
Molloy
The Kick Inside
Sparky's Magic Piano
Indurain
Photies
mine
tomb242
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Ooh, ooh, they played that one that starts like Another Girl, Another Planet. I love that one, no idea what its called.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
Ooh, ooh, they played that one that starts like Another Girl, Another Planet. I love that one, no idea what its called.
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
Monday, 23 June 2008
Wee Pop: The Darlings, The Mexican Kids At Home, Little My, The Just Joans - The Enterprise
Moments later on the other side of town, I wander into The Enterprise in Camden. the street outside was packed, but inside its kinda quiet, three barmaids leap to my service. Upstairs the venue is packed.
On stage are two people, The Darlings, a singing ukelele girl and a hairy egg-shaker chap. They sounded a little like Hello Saferide. I only caught the last three songs of their set, which is a shame cos amongst their recorded output, they have the best cover of AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long, which I've probably missed. I'd been listening it on iTunes all weekend.
Its sweet but generic music.
Next up are a really hairy five piece, The Mexican Kids At Home. They had one of those sitting on a wooden box percussion chaps, its been months since I saw one of them. There was a twee gentleman too, playing melodica, harmonica, keyboards and occasionally "doo doo doo" backing vocals. Topped off with boy and girl harmonies they were ace.
Rather looking forward to seeing them at Indietracks, sunshining, crowd of hundreds.
Its odd, its a really comfortable crowd compared to earlier today. Lost Music, Wee Pop, Pocketbooks, Just Joans, Bobby McGees, them French kids, Bowlie folk from last night. My nerves have calmed and I feel serene.
Its been an unsettled couple of days on the internet, my naked bike ride photies getting hundreds of views on Flickr, my art website rocketing up the Technorati authority rankings, then my origami video on BoingBoing. I've reached the top or at least the upper reaches, there's no more I can do. It does nothing for my tangible self-esteem.
Next on stage, the penultimate band of the night, Little My. Tonight they are a seven-piece, and they wear animal costumes. The bunny on bass is particularly cute. They sound a little like Bearsuit, but without the mania. Some of the songs are pretty neat and would be good listening on the coach home.
I think though, they sound too much like they're used to playing with loads of folk on stage.
One extra thing in their favour, they're bitter about not playing Indietracks and bitterness fucken rocks.
Then finally, one of the most eagerly awaited bands of the indiepop scene, The Just Joans. The buzz of anticipation in the crowd is palpable. I'm biased mind, I've seen them from the start, Adam J Smith passing me their demo cassette, the first gig, a sell out show in a tea room in Glasgow, bursting into London last year. I've seen them get better and better, more confident, more comfortable in their skin.
They're a six piece now, Fraser on bass, Doug on keyboards, Chris on lead guitar and sometimes accordian, Rowan on percussion, sharing vocal duties with Katie, and centre stage, David Pope.
A fine set, with new songs and old ones, polished so they sparkle. The songs are getting better than the old ones.
They have a new EP out on Wee Pop, new songs, "What Do I Do Now" will stick in your head for months, how do we pencil them in for T in the Park '09, joined on stage by Louise Wener. And their even newer song, "You're not gonna pull" is going to set the indie dancefloors on fire.
They name-checked me, they name-checked me. Thanking Thor and Camila from WeePop for their breakfast, and Trev Lost Music for putting on the gig, and then me. My eyes welled up, I was gonna start greeting.
Its been one of those weeks, its been one of those weekends, its been one of those days. But the Just Joans, they made everything okay.
Bands
The Darlings
The Mexican Kids At Home
Little My
The Just Joans
On stage are two people, The Darlings, a singing ukelele girl and a hairy egg-shaker chap. They sounded a little like Hello Saferide. I only caught the last three songs of their set, which is a shame cos amongst their recorded output, they have the best cover of AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long, which I've probably missed. I'd been listening it on iTunes all weekend.
Its sweet but generic music.
Next up are a really hairy five piece, The Mexican Kids At Home. They had one of those sitting on a wooden box percussion chaps, its been months since I saw one of them. There was a twee gentleman too, playing melodica, harmonica, keyboards and occasionally "doo doo doo" backing vocals. Topped off with boy and girl harmonies they were ace.
Rather looking forward to seeing them at Indietracks, sunshining, crowd of hundreds.
Its odd, its a really comfortable crowd compared to earlier today. Lost Music, Wee Pop, Pocketbooks, Just Joans, Bobby McGees, them French kids, Bowlie folk from last night. My nerves have calmed and I feel serene.
Its been an unsettled couple of days on the internet, my naked bike ride photies getting hundreds of views on Flickr, my art website rocketing up the Technorati authority rankings, then my origami video on BoingBoing. I've reached the top or at least the upper reaches, there's no more I can do. It does nothing for my tangible self-esteem.
Next on stage, the penultimate band of the night, Little My. Tonight they are a seven-piece, and they wear animal costumes. The bunny on bass is particularly cute. They sound a little like Bearsuit, but without the mania. Some of the songs are pretty neat and would be good listening on the coach home.
I think though, they sound too much like they're used to playing with loads of folk on stage.
One extra thing in their favour, they're bitter about not playing Indietracks and bitterness fucken rocks.
Then finally, one of the most eagerly awaited bands of the indiepop scene, The Just Joans. The buzz of anticipation in the crowd is palpable. I'm biased mind, I've seen them from the start, Adam J Smith passing me their demo cassette, the first gig, a sell out show in a tea room in Glasgow, bursting into London last year. I've seen them get better and better, more confident, more comfortable in their skin.
They're a six piece now, Fraser on bass, Doug on keyboards, Chris on lead guitar and sometimes accordian, Rowan on percussion, sharing vocal duties with Katie, and centre stage, David Pope.
A fine set, with new songs and old ones, polished so they sparkle. The songs are getting better than the old ones.
They have a new EP out on Wee Pop, new songs, "What Do I Do Now" will stick in your head for months, how do we pencil them in for T in the Park '09, joined on stage by Louise Wener. And their even newer song, "You're not gonna pull" is going to set the indie dancefloors on fire.
They name-checked me, they name-checked me. Thanking Thor and Camila from WeePop for their breakfast, and Trev Lost Music for putting on the gig, and then me. My eyes welled up, I was gonna start greeting.
Its been one of those weeks, its been one of those weekends, its been one of those days. But the Just Joans, they made everything okay.
Bands
The Darlings
The Mexican Kids At Home
Little My
The Just Joans
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