Tuesday, December 14, 2010
December Boy(s And Girls)
A seasonally themed gig is always going to be a bit hit and miss, especially if the timing is just before the whole party season gets into full swing. And so it is that this gig comes with a bunch of balloons, some tinsel and fairy lights.
Having missed the early doors by a combination of travelling back from the snow-laden hills and being in no hurry to see every second of every unfamiliar band, I nevertheless turned up in time to see all of Lucky Delucci. Joseph the singer seems an engagingly affable chap, and overall they come across rather like what you'd find lost in the middle ground between the classy synth pop of Captain and the more rounded prog leanings of Super Furry Animals. I made the effort to download the free track they have available and it's growing on me further by the listen, and definitely one for the don't-miss-their-next-support-slot file. Encouraging.
It's not unusual to find there's something I've come to late, but hooked on current blissful pop single December Boy, I was really looking forward to catching the final local appearance by The Loves. Naturally enough that single is a little out of character for the rest of their material, and the fine array of expletives and guitar riffs take you somewhere else entirely. The natural comparison is Jeffrey Lewis' 12 Crass Songs project, where Alice's counterpoint to Simon's singing takes a part that some might dismiss as the Manda Rin role, but it may be more the local influence of Helen Love that I detect coming through in the artful imperfection that means it sounds rather more raw and natural than the polish of December Boy. Guest roles played by various former Loves makes it a bit more like a final flourish, and that all adds to the one-off feel of the gig.
Headliners (and still my current favourite current pop band) are The School. You can probably judge for yourself how biased I am in their favour when I mention that Liz is doing the door and recognises me as I approach. Clad in Christmas jumpers and reindeer antlers, they run through a mix of festive classics and new tunes from The School's future second album though it's Stop That Boy that stays with me longest after the gig.
Not the best gig ever in the history of the world, but a perfectly decent seasonal antidote to the drama of the Frozen UK, and probably my major concession to the season of mandatory jollity. Hurrah!
_
Having missed the early doors by a combination of travelling back from the snow-laden hills and being in no hurry to see every second of every unfamiliar band, I nevertheless turned up in time to see all of Lucky Delucci. Joseph the singer seems an engagingly affable chap, and overall they come across rather like what you'd find lost in the middle ground between the classy synth pop of Captain and the more rounded prog leanings of Super Furry Animals. I made the effort to download the free track they have available and it's growing on me further by the listen, and definitely one for the don't-miss-their-next-support-slot file. Encouraging.
It's not unusual to find there's something I've come to late, but hooked on current blissful pop single December Boy, I was really looking forward to catching the final local appearance by The Loves. Naturally enough that single is a little out of character for the rest of their material, and the fine array of expletives and guitar riffs take you somewhere else entirely. The natural comparison is Jeffrey Lewis' 12 Crass Songs project, where Alice's counterpoint to Simon's singing takes a part that some might dismiss as the Manda Rin role, but it may be more the local influence of Helen Love that I detect coming through in the artful imperfection that means it sounds rather more raw and natural than the polish of December Boy. Guest roles played by various former Loves makes it a bit more like a final flourish, and that all adds to the one-off feel of the gig.
Headliners (and still my current favourite current pop band) are The School. You can probably judge for yourself how biased I am in their favour when I mention that Liz is doing the door and recognises me as I approach. Clad in Christmas jumpers and reindeer antlers, they run through a mix of festive classics and new tunes from The School's future second album though it's Stop That Boy that stays with me longest after the gig.
Not the best gig ever in the history of the world, but a perfectly decent seasonal antidote to the drama of the Frozen UK, and probably my major concession to the season of mandatory jollity. Hurrah!
