Janes Addiction, Kentish Town Forum, 22/08/02

Jane's Addiction - Kentish Town Forum, London

He comes forth in a pristine feathered white hat and jacket.

He looks like a fallen angel, slightly ravaged around the corners from years of abuse. Ladies and gentlemen – Perry Farrell is back in town....

With tickets outside the Forum reaching £250 this evening, I pass by the touts and the desperate hopefuls with the feeling that I’m on my way to witness something very special. It’s a feeling I haven’t had at a London gig in years. Jane’s Addiction was always a band to get excited about – it’s the sheer anticipation of never knowing what might happen next. Tonight that feeling is tempered slightly by the fear of being let down, the sensing of an anticlimax, the nagging feeling at the back of the mind that the past should be left there.

As the first chords ring out over the audience, the hairs on the backs of collective necks prick up so tangibly you can almost hear them. “Whoompfh”. This is a gig of champions, connoisseurs even. The band plays the best songs from their two studio albums (it’s hard to believe there were only two) - there is little or no margin for disappointment.

Getting started with “Up The Beach”, it becomes immediately clear what’s missing in a lot of live shows these days. It’s the sheer melodrama of it. The performer up there on stage giving it his all like his very sanity depends on it, and looking like he teeters on the brink at all times when not there. I don’t give a flying fuck about these bands that go off and have a cup of tea afterwards. When did being normal have any place in rock music??

Perry Farrell is that guy, always has been. Tonight, he wheels around the stage in his huge feathered hat, looking for all the world like some out of control cockatiel – his trademark squawkish voice completing this bird-man vision perfectly. “Stop” is a perfect example of the energy this band creates. It just picks you up and drags you along with it.

It’s during a sublime “Pigs in Zen”, a few songs in, that I manage to tear my eyes from the utterly encapsulating Farrell and notice Dave Navarro. He looks like he should be in a boy band now. No longer looking the drug addled weirdo, he’s positively glowing, looking like some extra from a particularly cheesy Hollywood soap. But being “with it” obviously suits him. His guitar tonight, as clean as he is, sounds better than I ever remember.

I would like to have seen them play “1%”, but couldn’t complain after hearing classics such as “Been Caught Stealing” and “I Would for You” (although the latter was something a stretch for Farrell’s voice and ended up sounding strained and, dare I say, a bit “off”). After 10 years away, these songs come about like nectar, flowing across the crowd – seeping into every pore.

After a quick costume change, Farrell arrives back onstage for the encore in even more sensational garb. What follows is an absolutely staggering “Jane Says”. It’s hard to find anything wrong with this entire experience. After another encore, enforced by the crowd absolutely refusing to leave, it is finally over.

If Jane’s Addiction set a benchmark all those years ago, then they have raised it several notches with tonight’s show. The musicians of today now have a lot to match up to. Let’s hope it’s fun to watch them try.

Easyworld Feature - 01/09/02

Easyworld

"Being uncool is a distinct advantage," Luci Jameson charts the fightback from Middle Class England

“It’s not exactly the Bronx, is it?” says Easyworld’s Dav Ford with more than a smattering of understatement. He’s talking about the band’s hometown of Eastbourne. Bass player Jo lives in a slightly more risky neighbourhood apparently - “There’s shootings and stuff, but [Jo] probably lives in the nicest house there.”

The closest they come to death and despair is with Ford’s rather gruesome previous job at a hospital, which reportedly included incinerating foetuses, whereas the impossibly affable drummer Glenn was once a member of the magic circle. They have no working class affectations; no mockney aspirations. “We’re not dockers from Liverpool and we’re not the chaps about town from Noo Yoik. We’re middle class and white – what the hell can you do with that?”

In this band’s case, you set about writing infectious pop rock songs for the kids [the who? – Ed] to get down to. The band seems to feel a lot of affection for these kids – but wait – does Ford have a sinister plan to lead them astray? “It’s like the training schemes they run at football clubs. We like to start them young and give them a good education. I think we’re a far better influence on kids than school can ever be, so we actively encourage kids to bunk off school and come to our gigs.” Let’s just hope the Daily Mail never gets hold of that snippet.

Mr Ford seems quite into his educating though; and claims that the band’s last single, “You Make Me Want To Drink Bleach” was an attempt, not to make impressionable fans head for the Domestos, but to do something altogether more intriguing, “The idea was to invent a turn of phrase to be accepted into the English language. You find that if someone says something once, then someone might say it again and if everyone understands what you mean by that then eventually everyone’s saying it. I don’t think that it’s going to happen with ‘Bleach’ but it’s about the idea of being clean inside and outside and generally everything being perfect.” Possibly the sentiment is a little too close to the after effects of colonic irrigation to really take off, but is a valiant effort nonetheless.

So, to recap, the kids must bunk off school, drink bleach…and have kinky sex, according to new single “You and Me”. Oh, God, please somebody get me the Daily Mail on the phone. I can’t wait to read the two-page spread on the evils of Easyworld following its release.

"So come around and see me/I’ll mix a mean Martini/And maybe later beat me senseless/And after dinner eat me" - ("You and Me")

I put it to Ford that he’s really a filthy bugger in the closet, but he’s insistent, even though his band seem unsure:

Dav: "That is absolutely not me!"

Jo: "So you say…"

Glenn: "Not what I’ve heard!"

Oh, OK, explain yourself, young man.

“It started off as a joke. I really like it, but I’m also mildly embarrassed of it. The idea was that it’s jazzy, samples based dance music. I thought it was quite a laugh, so I played it to the others and they said ‘We have to play that song’. Then we played it to the record label and they decided it should be a single and then after being told that enough times, I thought ‘Why the hell not?’”

See, the original incarnation was all jaunty horns. It could well have been the theme music to a Carry On film. It begs you to use the word ‘romp’. But now it’s an altogether different story. The single, due for release on 9 September, has been transformed by producer Owen Morris into a full-blown rock beast with loud guitars. It is, quite simply, brilliant.

On the b-side is a live favourite – the faithfully observed and beautifully performed “Hopelessly Devoted To You”. Yes, it’s that one, the one that Sandy sings by the paddling pool in “Grease”. It suits Ford’s soaring vocals perfectly. In a time where it seems de rigeur to do the ironic b-side cover, it is fabulous to hear one that works so well, and isn’t just an excuse to be a bit clever. Back down, Travis!

Still, even if this single does make them bigger than Mandy Dingle’s knickers, they’re still not all that bothered. To them, says Ford, being uncool is a distinct advantage.

“So far, we haven’t been dependent on the press, radio or TV. We’ve now got to a position where regardless of that, we can get an audience. We’re not dependent on someone deciding we’re cool this week. You can guarantee that when you get hyped, they may as well brand you with a sell-by date.”

Idlewild Feature - 09/09/03

Idlewild

“You wonder, ‘how the hell did we get here?’”

So speaks Idlewild bass player, Bob Fairfoull.

Indeed.
And actually, were it not for new wave icon and ex – Patti Smith Group co-founder and Idlewild fan Lenny Kaye who picked them up after a bruisingly ineffective album session with Stephen Street and dusted them down, showing them a few tricks along the way, they may well not have got there at all.

According to Fairfoull, the album, which we now know as “The Remote Part”, would not be what it is without Kaye’s assistance, despite none of their collaborations making the final cut. “[Working with Kaye] was a massively important part of making the record. We realised that we had been rushing ourselves; that there was too much pressure and a rushed job can never be a good job. He made us look at the way we were writing songs and taught us to persevere with songs we thought weren’t good enough.”

And he also credits Kaye with adding more than a little of his magic to their most successful single to date...

“We had an acoustic song. Before we always left songs as they were written. The song with the piano in would end up as the piano song. [Kaye] showed us that we could start with an acoustic song, and build it from there – make it rock a bit. We worked on that song and pretty much wrote it with Lenny, and that song became "American English".”

Singer Roddy Woomble stated in a previous interview that Idlewild possesses an “anti confidence”, which Fairfoull agrees Kaye had to work on to get the supreme confidence present on the album. “We’d write good vocals and harmonies and then feel a bit exposed, so we’d add distorted guitars over the top to hide it. Lenny’s a typical New Yorker – he doesn’t care about what people think. It’s a very British thing to be so aware of people’s perception of yourself, and he helped us to ignore that a bit.” He’s pleased when I tell him that I think this approach gives the album a subtler, more delicate feel to the previous records, whilst still remaining true to their sound.

Everything going so well? The backlash surely has to start here.

As with every band that have been going for a while, with a solid and faithful fan base, and who suddenly become successful in the mainstream, Idlewild find themselves on the wrong end of criticism from their own message board. A quick glance will show you fans (the old ones, you understand, the ones who bought the first record and who have been to every gig ever and you’ll never like them so much as me, so there) who disagree with the band’s decision to tour with Coldplay and who disagree with the choice of “Live in a Hiding Place” as the album’s third single. They think it shows a softening, and a betrayal of their back catalogue.

But Bob’s not altogether sympathetic to these folk, “There are always those fans who think that they own the band. Which they don’t. They resent it when the band gets new fans. It’s a shame they feel that way, but they still buy the records. [The Coldplay tour] is the only opportunity we’ll get to play to that many people. Of course we’d love to have their fans buy our records. We knew that would happen. There were those that said we’d sold out when we released "Hope is Important" because some thought it wasn’t as fast as "Captain". It is a shame they feel that way, but then "A Modern Way Of Letting Go" is one of the heaviest songs we have ever written. But “Live in a Hiding Place” is a beautiful song.”

It is. And as such, required a very special video. Lucky then, that they have another useful fan in the guise of Wim Wenders, ultra cool cult director of films such as Buena Vista Social Club, and he added a touch of Hollywood to it.

“We were really flattered that he wanted to work with us. He has a strange, abstract way of looking at things. It looks really good though. There’s a real difference between films and music videos and this is very cinematic. We’d be in the Californian desert at 5-30am dying of heat, dressed as cowboys in black and white, and then there’d be all these fat American tourists behind us in really vibrant colours.”

Which is, of course, where we arrived...

Hell Is For Heroes - Crossfire Birthday - London Dingwalls 27/09/02

Hell Is For Heroes (Crossfire 1st Birthday) - Dingwalls, London

Happy Birthday Dear Crossfire. LET'S RAWWWK!

With their debut album release pushed back to February (pah!), it would seem that the inevitable Top of the Pops and CD-UK performances are on ice for now; although World domination surely can't be too far away. To pass the time until that day, Hell is for Heroes have hit the road again, just to see if there are any young folk who haven't yet been swept away by their devastatingly energetic live shows.

It would seem that the crowd at Dingwalls are all at least 2nd timers, and there's clearly some veterans too. When Schlosberg et al get on the stage, the whole friggin' place erupts, and then they have the temerity to warm everyone up with a new song, "Folded Paper Figures", which has no less effect than the old favourites.

This band seems to have been on tour forever, but in actual fact it's nearer 2 years. Their hard work is paying off too. The set list reads like the greatest hits package of a well-loved band. The shouldabeen hits and the gonnabe hits just roll easily one after the other. “Sick/Happy”, “Cut Down”, “5 Kids Go”, “Nightvision”, “I Can Climb Mountains”. I can't think of another band today that has such a blistering live set.

You've got to either love or hate Justin Schlosberg's voice, but even if you take the latter route, you at least have to admire the power with which it spews forth from his less than stocky frame. And with willful lack of regard for his personal safety, he chucks himself around the stage like he’s getting paid per bruise. For him, there are no grey areas, no middle ground, which marks him out as being one of the best frontmen around.

The more sedate moments in the set, such as "Slow Song", give the sweaty a chance to regroup before once again being battered around the head with the familiar riffage of "You Drove Me To It". Here’s a band that has a knack of writing catchy, edgy, fuck-off rock monsters of songs, and they’ve got the live juice to back it up.

And I, personally, can’t wait to see what they do to the popsters in the TOTP studios when they do get a run out. It’ll be sugar-coated carnage.

Nada Surf - Let Go - 29/09/02

Nada Surf - Let Go

Imagine having the power to turn sunshine into songs...

New York rockers Nada Surf appear to have worked out that particular chemical reaction and use it to great effect on their new album "Let Go". This album screams summer from start to finish. Gush gush gush. Odd that it should be released when the warmth has gone out of the sun, and the damp is creeping into Britain's bones. But never mind that for now, it's a minor gripe.

Blending some angelic vocals with some rather fine frippery riffery, opener "Blizzard of '77" is the perfect track to hark back to those good ole days of Woodstock and mincing around naked to "Flowers in the Rain". It's certainly got the spirit far more of that bygone sixties era than the rather more agressive year it refers to. Yeah, there's a place for pogo-ing, sure there is. I just think it's a winter sport.

Forthcoming single "The Way You Wear Your Head" is a straight down the line rocker. It's catchy as hell and will probably have you careering around the dancefloor if they're smart enough to pick up on it in the world of rock clubs. Or they might just stick with playing "Celebrity Skin" one more time.

"Fruit Fly" and "Blonde on Blonde" are again gentle, soothing. There's elements of vintage Elliott Smith and Weezer in there. No bad thing, of course. It's cruise music really. Whereas "Inside of Love" is epic, huge, singalongable. Probably one to drunkenly slur along to after having your heart stamped to smithereens.

They're kind enough to pick you up again after this with a perky number called "Hi-Speed Soul", which lifts the spirits. That's the great thing about this record. It's so three dimensional. It's got the light and the shade in all the right places.

"Killian's Red" sees the band go quite "Irish Pub". Not for any other reason than it makes me think of a pub in Cork (and hey, this is my review). It's quite wonderfully beautiful and melodic though. They get further Euro-centric with "La Pour Ca", which is sung entirely in French. It's the only song on the album that does nothing for me. It seems to be a little too preoccupied with being “the clever song” to actually remember to be worthwhile.

It's all good though, because the last three songs make for a winning finish, so I'll let them have their clever moment. "Paper Boats" is a particular high point and a great parting shot. It's all dreamy vocals and fragile guitars and the lyrical representation of a frustrated conversation is particularly poignant.

The sad thing is that you get the feeling that this is a band that will be worshipped by few, and passed over by many. Go on, give ‘em a chance – you’ll not be disappointed…

Hell Is For Heroes, Feature 15/10/02

Hell Is For Heroes

“If you’re gonna be in a rock band, you might as well party!”

Awww, and just as I was about to start shouting, “You’re no rock ‘n’ roll fun!” at Hell Is For Heroes guitarist Will McGonagle [that’s a Sleater Kinney reference by the way, fact fans]. In actual fact, this London based band like to party more than any I have come across in recent times. Check their website diary entry from their recent video shoot in Los Angeles and you find that they enjoyed themselves so much that one of them had to be taken to the airport in a wheelchair at the end of their stay.

McGonagle explains further, “All the other videos have been done with camcorders, either at our show ['You Drove Me To It'] or in a box ['I Can Climb Mountains']. For this one, we went to Los Angeles, and had money to drink and buy clothes. We stayed in a great hotel as well.” Also, for those interested in such things, the video features their rock buddies ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. Hell Is For Heroes preferred to leave the action to them and stick with what Will considers to be their strength, “We’re guitarists and drummers and stuff, and not actors. We play music. I don’t like those videos where indie bands walk around pouting and trying to be actors. We just played the song in the video.”

They’re hoping to follow this pattern with the video for their planned next single, which may well be a rerecorded version of “You Drove Me To It”. Having released it previously less than a year ago, Will explains the thinking behind the choice, “[The original] was too clean, slow, and was the most tame of all our singles. This version is a bit shorter, faster and with way more of a swing. It’s more similar to our live sound.” It would seem that, before this, the idea of releasing “Cut Down” as the next single was banded about. An idea that has been rethought following some members of the band not wanting it that way. He doesn’t elaborate on this point though, unfortunately.

Instead, the song appears on the band’s debut album which, following a series of date changes, seems to be set for a February release. “The Neon Handshake”, was recorded in the Spring of last year, making it almost a year old by the date of its planned launch. McGonagle insists that the postponement is not frustrating for the band, “It’s not frustrating but I can’t wait till it’s out. Since “I Can Climb Mountains” came out, our shows have been selling out quicker and some fans know every single song. After it’s out, I think shows’ll be more fun, and the fans will have more to grab hold of. We haven’t played all of the tracks on the album live, because we want to hit people with our most immediate, loud songs. The songs still feel good.”

So, what after that?

“We haven’t written anything for the next album yet. It’s too far in the future to think about at the moment.”

So, for now, they are touring Europe with Papa Roach. I spoke to Will in Portugal, where they play this evening. “It’s our first time playing in these countries, except for Sweden, where we did a hardcore festival before.” The band is enjoying playing on the tour, but I put it to Will that a larger stage merely means more scope for their manic frontman, Justin Schlosberg, to injure himself. “We’ve been talking about that on this Papa Roach tour. A larger stage means that we run around like headless chickens and stuff. It’s becoming more of an aerobics exercise than a gig, so we’ve started to pull in the amps to try to make the bigger stage more claustrophobic. We just play in a little corner of the stage now.”

The tour ends at Brixton Academy, a hometown show. “I have mixed feelings about Brixton. I enjoy playing out of [London] more because there’s less pressure. If you have a bad show there, then you can be sure all of your friends will know about it. It’s not the same in Brussels – I don’t know anyone in Brussels.”

The tour also seems to be offering all the rock ‘n’ roll fun the band is after. “This tour’s been great because the guys in Papa Roach like a drink. They have aftershows every night. They just give us a handful of passes and tell us to bring who we want. They have a flight case with a TV and video in outside their dressing room and crates and crates of beer. It’s a lot of fun. We don’t drink before we go onstage, but afterwards we will. If there’s free booze then we’ll drink it double fast.”

With new single, “Night Vision”, out on Monday, and an ever-increasing fanbase it would be prudent for the band to try to make it to the UK leg of the tour. There’s talk of another London show before Christmas, but if that doesn’t come together then they won’t be back until the New Year. Which is probably just as well, because it would seem like Hell is for Heroes have quite a year ahead of them.

Bleedmusic Singles Reviews 11/11/02

Single Reviews - November 11th

Listening to “Whispering Street”, I imagine Barry Adamson looks a little like Hawaiian 80s pop heartthrob Glenn Medeiros.

I know better of course. Barry Adamson's pedigree as past member of such landmark bands as Magazine and The Bad Seeds is completely sidelined with this aged sounding, tinnily remixed pap pop. He might have a way with words (which isn't even in evidence here) and a syrupy, melt-the-ladies voice but this is a poor show.

There are lots of wishy-washy noises at the beginning of the Athlete single, “Beautiful”. And the main body of the song continues in the same vein really. It doesn't have the same easy charm that “You Got The Style” had. B-side “On and On” is much more like it. Leave the sweeping anthems to someone else boys, and stick to the jaunty little numbers you're best at.

Up next is Finland's finest rock band, Sweatmaster. They win my award for Best Single of All Time by a Scandinavian Band just because “I Am A Demon And I Love Rock'n'Roll” is the best song title of all time. The song itself is huge fun and the cheese factor is off the scale. The lyrics rival that of Poison's “Talk Dirty To Me” for downright ridiculousness and it makes me want to go out, buy a pair of spray on bleached jeans, grow a Dave Mustaine haircut and shake it around whilst scaring old ladies with my rock salute in Sainsbury’s. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Whilst in Sainsbury’s, I found Craig David in the freezer section attracting odd looks with his new single, “What's Your Flava?” The guy has a worrying obsession with ice cream. He takes it on dates and everything. His lactose fetish aside, this song is a cheddar-fest beyond belief. If I could believe he's ever pulled in his life, it wouldn't be so bad. But they just don't hold no truck with that kind of behaviour in Swindon.

Lomax's “Anglicised” sounds like The Clash. It's nowhere as near as good as the other track on this AA side. Which is fortunate as I'll choose “Last Meal For Jeff” as my A side. It's a simple and effective musing on Jeffery Dahmer, The Milwaukee Cannibal. How could they have known that I was reviewing the singles this week, and that I have a real soft spot for songs about cannibalistic sociopaths? Spooky. Go and buy it now...

I don't know. Is Jon Spencer Blues Explosion actually any good? Or is the band just some tinpot, middle-of-the-road, poor excuse for musicians? I'd much rather listen to BB Mak...

“Out of my Heart” is the first single from their new album from this decade's The Fixx. Their success in the States is unsurprising given this saccharine-soaked slab of pop. Anyone remember Toad The Wet Sprockett? This is they. With different faces, of course.

John Squire has that wobbly, comedy-scouser voice which Ringo uses to great effect on Thomas the Tank Engine. Squire takes this approach with single “Joe Louis”. There is a very Beatles-ey vibe to this song, but it's a somehow more ballsy, super-strength version. Which is more than can be said of the music that awful hippy band he used to be in made.

Despite an apparent speech impediment, Beth Orton does alright with "Anywhere". It 's got a good beat, and her voice is really quite nice. Other than that, there's not anything that grabs me about it. Or maybe it's just quite mediocre. Really. I'm that apathetic about it.

I could see myself dancing to Radio 4's "Dance to the Underground", after rather a lot of alcohol and little sleep for a few days. It's one of those songs that you have to be a bit fucked up to listen to. And at 4pm, despite Bleed's reputation, I'm not quite there. So it's a bit like having an insect in my ear. The bass line is brilliant. If this song was just the bass line, I'd be in love with this band. As it goes, they're better than The Strokes – but that’s not necessarily a compliment.

Aaah, Darius. He's my favourite popstar at the moment. And there's no hint of irony or sarcasm there. The man who writes his own stuff and plays his own guitar is back with another easy-on-the-ear, singalong tune where he can wander through the desert in the video looking enigmatic. “Rushes” is as lovely as the man is ambitious. And whilst his reality TV show companions are crying on telly, being crushed under Jordan's ample bosom and turning more into Norman Wisdom everyday, Darius is getting on with the music. And I love him for it.

If Darius is this week's clean cut young man; Missy Elliott with “Work It” is a naughty little minx indeed. Is this the best hip hop single of the year? Very probably. She's reportedly lost around four stone in weight, but this song packs a fuck-off right hook. So... be off with you. Go out. Shake yer tush, talk backwards and make yer arse go vroom.

Fremme Neppa Venette indeed.

Big Brovaz - Nu Flow

Big Brovaz - Nu Flow

Roll up! Roll up! It's a circus! It's a West End show!

What it isn’t is particularly credible. When So Solid Crew broke through, there was a buzz. There was excitement in the urban music scene that some great underground acts were going to get the recognition they deserved. Instead, what happened was the hand-wringing music execs rushed to sign anyone who had strength in numbers and looked ‘urban’ enough.

This has resulted in panto bands like Big Brovaz.

This album opens with the rap equivalent of "Teddy Bears' Picnic". "Nu Flow" sold shitloads, and as only kids buy singles these days, I've got my money on them being the culprits. It's a step on from storyteller tapes, but with less edge. The line ‘You need to listen up and feel this shit’ doesn't sit well in the song, which has such a nursery rhyme feel. It's like that song about the dog called Bingo having the word 'fuck' slipped in. And the chorus reminds me of being a kid and going to see Starlight Express.

If I lived the life these people are trying to represent in songs such as "Find a Life" and “Little Mama”, then I'd be seriously fucked off that a song about being really up against it has such a suburban, middle class feel. It's so overdone it makes me want to find this band and all of their fans, strap them to chairs and force-feed them Juice and HiFi Killers until they learn that IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!

For such a bunch of no-hopers, they certainly like to brag a lot about how fantastic they are. “Taking It Global” follows the same formula as the other songs. It sounds like they’ve nicked a Suede intro though, and there are ridiculous guitar samples throughout. At least I think they’re meant to be guitars. Once again it’s appallingly overproduced. Oh, they do that themselves too? Surprise surprise.

“Summertime” – annoying girl vocals. Wondered where that irritating git Enya had got to. Latin horn samples and rhythms ensure they aren’t just damaging the genre they have chosen to annihilate with their dross. “Gotta Get” wins the Song of the Album for having the words ‘vegetable’ and ‘sexual’ in the same sentence. Those random word generators sure can backfire, can’t they?

If this album consisted of songs more similar to “O.K.” then, fittingly, it’d be at least mediocre. And if they lost the birds that insist on adding their wibbly voices to everything. It’s like Alvin and The Chipmunks on helium. They manage to massacre “Baby Boy” as well. A fine example of where the chat up line, ‘I wanna put you on record, baby!’ has splendidly led these boys into water above their heads.

As it is, it’s a festival of banality. I’d rather stick pins in my eyes and shoot nails through my ears than be put through this again.

Luci Jameson

Easyworld, Monarch, London

Easyworld (Thursday December 13, 2001 4:53 PM )

Gig played on 12/12/2001 Venue: Monarch (London)

Aaah, Easyworld must be a wonderful place. The citizens skip in the streets to the sounds of horn sections, piano breaks and luscious pounding guitar riffs. As if sent to give us a glimpse of this idyllic place, this band came to the grim streets of Camden Town to show the inhabitants just how fabulous life can be when lived to a great soundtrack.

Their task isn't really all that difficult either, with an enthusiastic fan contingent in place to cheer them on. The delicate opening strains of 'You Make Me Want To Drink Bleach' give way to the contagious melody and persistent refrain of the chorus. Never heard it before? You'll be singing along by the end. That's the sign of a great song, and Easyworld have a whole set jam-packed with them.

'Junkies and Whores' is a more pensive, but lyrically and vocally complex number including the addition of several instruments that more than demonstrate the dexterity of the band.

Such a vast amount of energy and charisma is exuded in this all-too-brief visit from the people of Easyworld that the spirits of the entire room are effortlessly lifted - a rare quality. The wonderfully upbeat 'You and Me', with it's seaside postcard lyrics and "ooh matron" feel provides a perfect close to the show.

It's hard to understand why this band have attracted frequently unfavourable reviews over the past year. Maybe the detractors are taking their music a little too seriously.

by Luci Jameson

George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Anthology

George Thorogood & The Destroyers - ''Anthology'' (Thursday June 21, 2001 3:52 PM )

Released on 18/06/2001 Label: EMI

This is a great example of what an anthology should be. Thirty well chosen tracks: a mixture of live recordings, previously unreleased material and popular album tracks. 'Anthology' also includes a comprehensive booklet about the blues-rock guitarist incorporating sleeve notes written by San Francisco journalist, Joel Selvin, who charts Thorogood's rise to notoriety.

Although the main percentage of tracks on here are covers [the tracks include songs originally by artists such as Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, James Brown and The Isley Brothers], the spirit with which Thorogood approaches them is energetic, vital and raw. On the outstanding Hooker track, 'One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer', you can almost hear him duckwalking across the floor at the Boarding House, where he began his career.

On the original material, Thorogood proves that he is at least as capable at songwriting as he is at playing. Songs such as 'Delaware Slide', 'I Drink Alone', and of course the excellent 'Bad To The Bone' showcase his skilled musicianship and lyrical dexterity, and they more than stand up alongside classics such as 'Shake Your Money Maker', 'Johnny B. Goode' and 'I'm Ready'.

Newcomers to the Thorogood sound will find this double CD collection is an excellent place to start, and long time fans will be pleased with this selection along with the addition of the fantastic previously unreleased track, 'Christine', originally by Chicago blues musician, Hound Dog Taylor.

According to the sleevenotes, when George Thorogood and The Destroyers started out, 'the worst pop in eons clogged the airwaves'. What a fitting time to bring out a retrospective.

by Luci Jameson

The Cult, London, Brixton Academy

The Cult (Tuesday August 28, 2001 4:47 PM )

Gig played on 27/08/2001 Venue: Brixton Academy (London)

After an absence of almost seven years, The Cult are back on the circuit and back on the festival trail with new material that harks back to their glory days. What better place then to proclaim their continued relevance than the cavernous temple of sound that is Brixton Academy?

Taking to the stage they launch into current single 'Rise'. Hopping around the stage in the baking venue, Ian Astbury looks like he never went away. He also looks like he's been drinking from the font of eternal youth. 'Rise' is a fitting song with which to make their return, the sound of a band who have rediscovered their magic. In many ways, it's vintage Cult.

Not entirely practically dressed in a long grey coat and fur-lined hat, Astbury and that remarkable voice he possesses work through old and new songs alike. With a seemingly endless supply of tambourines to chuck into the audience, he's having fun back in front of a British audience, disparaging comments about the Reading Festival aside.

'In The Clouds', 'Lil Devil' and 'Rain' are infused with a new vitality as if the break has breathed new life into the live performance. Where once they sounded a little bloated, loose and self-indulgent, the new look Cult 2001 are a tighter, cleaner sounding beast.

'My Bridges Burn', 'Breathe' and 'Take The Power' are reason enough to shake off the criticism that the band has attracted since their last shows in the UK. But 'She Sells Sanctuary' lets the side down and Billy Duffy seems to have just a little too much fun improvising.

Thankfully, the band recovers superbly to finish with the searing 'War (The Process)', the fantastic 'Nirvana' and a brilliantly climactic 'Love Removal Machine'.

Mission accomplished: there can be little doubt that The Cult are a band that sounds as good if not better than they did in their most successful period.

by Luci Jameson

Dr Robert - Birds Gotta Fly

Dr Robert - ''Birds Gotta Fly'' (Thursday June 14, 2001 11:20 AM )

Released on 11/06/2001 Label: Fencat

There are certain albums that effortlessly evoke a feeling of a happy, carefree existence. 'Birds Gotta Fly' is one such LP, its largely upbeat songs blending many flavours, genres and styles and peppered with haunting, intelligent violin arrangements.

From the atmospheric, mellow title track, Dr Robert guides us through blues, funk, rock 'n' roll and even a bit of jazz, ending on the gloriously caustic, frivolous, oompah-led hate song, 'A Little Song'.

It is hard to choose standout tracks from an album that fits so well together, but the gloriously lazy 'The Nearly Room', is one of the best. The laid back song drips with fading sunshine and the promise of warm summer nights as does the dusty road feel of 'Sycamore Tree'. It's a bluesy, rootsy harmonica-based slab of pure rock 'n' roll that is bound to get your foot tapping and your head nodding.

The good doctor has a voice which brings warmth to all of the styles present on this album but it's on the uncomplicated love song 'Still Got A Lot To Learn' that he really shines. It's a song that can reach in and warm even the coldest of hearts.

Sure, there's bleeps and some wonderful arrangements, but this is an album that takes music back to basics. Purely and simply, this is feelgood music of the highest calibre which deserves to live on your stereo for at least the whole of this summer.

by Luci Jameson

Dr Robert, The Borderline, London

Gig played on: Fri 22 Jun 2001

DR ROBERT - THE BORDERLINE, LONDON

Ex Blow Monkeys frontman Dr Robert tonight chooses to open his set with his former band's rousing tune 'Digging Your Scene'. It's a stronger version than the original and the change in tone is a clear indication of the direction Robert's music has taken since then.

Generally pigeonholed as an indie type, tonight the good Dr proves that he isn't afraid to swap genres. Like with the wonderfully spiralling and folksome 'Circular Key', which introduces the huge talent of violinist Nell Catchpole, borrowed for the evening from support band, The Bark.

As entertaining when speaking as he is when singing, Dr Robert introduces each of his songs with witty tales of their inception. He plays current single, 'A Single Summer', after explaining that it is one of many tunes he has written about cricket.

It is the first of many tracks from current album, 'Birds Gotta Fly'. 'Blue Skies' is a wonderful singalong affair, and 'Still Got A Lot To Learn' proves even more powerful in the flesh than on record. With his distinctive voice and considered and clear delivery, it doesn't matter that the album hasn't been out long. The crowd instinctively seems to know each word.

As he does on the album, Robert explores many genres live, enjoying all kinds of musical styles and expressions. The tunes frequently become raucous and fun jam sessions, each musician unable to disguise their enjoyment. They grin their way through the wonderfully spiteful, cornet-tinged 'A Little Song', the firm favourite 'The Nearly Room' and the strange but satisfying 'Phantom World'.

A stripped bare version of The Blow Monkey's classic 'It Doesn't Have To Be This Way' opens a singalong encore, in a set that ends with the massive, all aboard, bluesy jam of the staggering 'Sycamore Tree'. Cramming almost a dozen people onto the tiny stage is impressive enough but to have the assembled players crank out such an awe-inspiringly energetic closing number makes the evening.

Luci Jameson

Orquesta Del Desierto - S/T

Orquesta Del Desierto - Album - “S/T” (Meteor City, 2002)
Available: Now

If you've ever woken up after a hot summer night of alcoholic excess, legs stuck to the sheets and mouth as dry as sawdust, then this is the perfect album to nurse your sweaty hangover.

With Tequila soaked vocals and hot tempered latin rhythms, this debut offering from the Orquesta Del Desierto lot (including members of KYUSS, Queens of the Stone Age and Goatsnake), will have you up and ready in no time.

Shadow Stealing will drag you into the day with its insistent latin guitar riffs - something like The Man Who Stole The World on uppers whilst he holidays with Jim Morrison in Mexico, after which the mellower, vocal driven After Blue will soothe your fevered head with its rolling, lolloping bass line.

In fact, whatever your preferred course of action in hangover hell, this album will have something to assist you.

Go back to sleep aided by the gently drifting Waiting for That Star to Fall or dance around the house in the manner of Mary Strange.

This record has been called 100% stoner approved, which *is* true but it's so much more than a stoner rock album. This album takes cues from blues, folk, country, latin and driving rock and twists them into moments of sleepy perfection.

There you have it, an album which presents a perfect excuse to go out and get trashed. Pass the Tequila, por favor…

Luci Jameson

Various Artists - Urban Renewal

Various - ''Urban Renewal'' (Thursday June 14, 2001 11:21 AM )

Released on 18/06/2001 Label: WEA

You'd be hard pushed to think of a more unlikely combination than hip-hop and R&B artists covering the songs of Phil Collins. On the face of it, it isn't a bad idea. Shame then, that those involved (with a precious few noteworthy exceptions), fail to use the opportunity to create something more worthwhile than what appears on 'Urban Renewal'.

The album opens with Brandy and Ray-J's current single, 'Another Day in Paradise'. This song is fairly typical of the remainder of the album. It's a largely hollow rendition, saved only by the technical skills of the performers. There's nothing new or interesting here.

The first of a handful on the album to get close to where you'd hope this collection would go is Ol' Dirty Bastard's take on 'Sussudio'. This laid back summer hip hop track gives a new edge to the original material and brings it right up to date. Also successful in her endeavours is L'il Kim. Her raw and challenging version of 'In The Air Tonight' is spoiled only by Phil Collins himself, whose guest vocals unnecessarily age the song and sit uncomfortably alongside the verses.

BRIT award winner Kelis lends her unique and uncompromising style to a refreshingly ballsy version of 'I Don't Care Anymore' and you can almost forgive the dirge that makes up the remainder of the tracks (including Dane Bowers, Montell Jordan and TQ).

The undoubtable skill of the collective contributors could have resulted in a fresh and innovative re-working of these old favourites, but this album misses the mark in a number of ways. The running order is ill thought out so that the tracks don't flow naturally and the production is frequently heavy handed.

The main problem with 'Urban Renewal' though, is that it's essentially dull. It is not edgy enough to appeal to R&B and hip hop afficionados and not true enough to the original spirit of Collins' back catalogue to tempt his fanbase into exploring the work of those featured. A bit of a pointless exercise all round really.

by Luci Jameson

Kilkus, London Borderline

Kilkus (Thursday November 15, 2001 4:12 PM )

Gig played on 12/11/2001 Venue: Borderline (London)

Visible Noise's latest next-big-nu-metal-things, Kilkus, face a tough challenge at The Borderline. It's a sweatbox of a venue better known for a rather more laid back brand of music and isn't exactly prepared for this gang of hyper crunchcore performance artists.

Boasting a few members clearly not in possession of their full faculties, the stage is barely able to contain the band's uniquely energetic show. But, add a rather subdued audience to the mix and we could have a problem.

Opening with a blistering boyband-on-acid, sample-fuelled instrumental/dance number by the clearly bonkers Edo Trousse, the crowd should be captivated. Unfortunately, sound trouble rears its ugly head making Chris Macaree's usually sublime vocals almost inaudible. Still, even if it's not to be the best of Kilkus gigs, it's still fresh, energetic and exciting to watch.

'My Tomorrow Started Yesterday' and 'Oxygen' kick like the proverbial, but fail to ignite the crowd with their usual ease. 'Oxygen' provokes the kind of chaotic and euphoric on-stage action rarely seen since punk's hey-day but it doesn't rub-off on the crowd.

The sound gradually comes together for 'Spherical Line' and 'Pattern of Self Design' and the welcome addition of an audible vocal shifts things up a gear. The soothing 'September', with its unaccompanied intro' is an indication that former guitarist turned singer Macaree is going to melt hearts with his syrupy vocals in the future. It's still blinkin' noisy, but in a syrupy, heart-melting kind of a way.

On another night, and with another bunch of folks in front of them, this would have been a truly special set.

by Luci Jameson

Incubus, London Wembley Arena

Incubus - Incubus (Tuesday January 22, 2002 11:44 AM )

Gig played on 19/01/2002 Venue: Wembley Arena (London)

Making the transition from Brixton Academy to Wembley Arena is obviously harder than it looks. Incubus sound like a world-conquering band but, at first, look like tourists in awe of their surroundings. They shouldn't be overwhelmed, their unrelenting hard work over a ten-year period has finally put them in this enviable position. Tonight was a sell out months ago.

Opening the show with 'Circles' and 'Nice to Know You', from the outstanding album 'Morning View', pin-up singer Brandon Boyd, like a more affable and laid back Eddie Vedder, is everything the audience demands. Considering he's fronting a pretty non-descript band, Boyd makes up for his colleagues' aesthetic failings, effortlessly emitting style as he strides around the arena stage. Once comfortable, he makes use of the space to unleash the full force of his energetic showmanship working the crowd from side to side in the mould of a Bono or Dave Gahan.

Despite the intensity of the music, the nagging suspicion remains that this is, in fact, a pop gig rather than a rock fest. But the ladies aren't complaining, screaming and fainting as if in the presence of Elvis in his prime. Brandon laps it up, and has the time of his life, wisecracking and joking around.

His voice ain't too bad either, shining on the epic sounding tracks 'Wish You Were Here', 'Stellar' and 'Drive', simultaneously filling the arena with its syrupy resonance and the audience with the kind of rushing sensations reserved for a very few special acts. The songs are tight and the band flawlessly professional, their interplay occasionally breathtaking.

Playing a number of songs from second album 'S.C.I.E.N.C.E.' including 'Glass', 'New Skin' and 'Nebula', it's easy to see how they've grown since that album's release over four years ago. Particularly of note is the added dimension that DJ Kilmore has given them since joining before 1999's 'Make Yourself'. Live, he provides a secondary focus, his nicely pitched turntabalism easing effortlessly into the Incubus sound.

When the night ends with the awesome 'Pardon Me', the abrupt absence of this huge coruscating sound leaves us craving more. Still, Incubus have work to do elsewhere, and with a hefty toot on the digeridoo, they're away to continue what they've started.

'Make Yourself', indeed.

by Luci Jameson

Vex Red, London ULU

Vex Red (Monday November 5, 2001 2:21 PM )

Gig played on 01/11/2001 Venue: ULU (London)

Having released their first single, Vex Red head off on the road to headline a UK tour. Opening with 'Closest', it's clear that the band has grown in confidence immensely since they last played to a packed out Water Rats. Relishing the extra space the ULU stage gives them, they grind out the riffs and unleash their raw energy upon the expectant crowd.

There are many reasons why Vex Red are better than many current UK metal acts. Forget Ross Robinson and his all-important seal of approval, this band is great on their own terms. Picture if you will a moshpit trying to come to terms with the 2-step beats and samples of 'Can't Smile'. The resultant mosh/rave hybrid is a beautiful spectacle to behold. The song itself is inspired - and serves as a warning to the pretenders who are producing poor replicas of this style.

First single 'Itch' is another reason. It may not have the sheer inventive style of 'Can't Smile', but is nonetheless a cut above the rest. It is a live favourite already, and has the crowd stirred up to new levels of frenzied adoration this evening. Frontman Terry Abbott throws himself about like a crazed lunatic, his voice ranging from anguished howl to hateful hiss.

The main reason Vex Red are better than the others is the pure audacity of having their not-unattractive and charisma soaked singer bugger offstage halfway through the set and then proceed to play the most brilliant instrumental heard since never at a metal gig. It beats drum solos any day of the week.

The serious weight of 'Sleep Does Nothing For You' and the downbeat 'Start With A Strong And Persistent Desire' not only highlights Vex Red's penchant for lengthy song titles, but also show a true musical dexterity. They are not sitting in a studio churning out endless Bizkit and Korn rip-offs, they are genuinely doing their own thing, and on this evidence are heading towards some serious barrier breaking in the future.

by Luci Jameson

Kate Rusby, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

Kate Rusby (Monday June 25, 2001 5:08 PM )

Gig played on 24/06/2001 Venue: Queen Elizabeth Hall (London)

Traditionally, folk music has been considered a deeply untrendy thing by people who should know better. Well, it was, until Kate Rusby changed all that. The Yorkshire lass emerged from the folk niche and claimed a Mercury nomination for her troubles. Since then, her down to earth, engaging wit and vast musical talent have been winning over audiences both here and abroad.

With an easy stage patter, she is reminiscent of a more intelligent version of Bubble from Absolutely Fabulous. She tells tales of horses washed in Daz and fed Ready Brek, and speculates upon what Folk Barbie might sing if she were to roll up to the festivals in her pink camper van. She also pokes fun at her market, worrying aloud that the Folk Police will get her for her modernisation of certain traditional tunes.

The truly remarkable thing though is when she stops babbling and starts to sing. There is such a vast difference between the speaking voice and the singing voice that you would almost suspect a bit of Milli Vanilli style underhandedness. The only word that really springs to mind is 'pure', rather fittingly as that is the name of the record label her family runs to release her material.

From opening number 'Playing Of Ball', from current album 'Little Lights', it's clear that Rusby is a natural and comfortable performer. Adapted from a traditional folk tune originally titled 'Lovely Willy' ("You can't come to a posh venue like this and sing filth like that"), it seems to hold no effort for Rusby, each note flowing freely from her lips.

Backed by a band of accomplished folk musicians, Rusby works her magic on album tracks 'I Courted A Sailor' and 'Let The Cold Wind Blow', the latter apparently inspired by the "two stupidest birds in Yorkshire."

However, it is when Rusby is alone on the stage for a solo effort including the comic 'The Yorkshire Couple' and 'The Sweet Bride', that the sleightness of her frame and the sheer magnitude of her voice become apparent. The guitar dwarfs her, the size of the otherwise empty stage seems infinite, yet that exquisite voice fills every space.

As Rusby's tunes encompass dragons, drowned lovers and unpleasant shenanigans involving vagrants, you realise that folk music isn't as dull as you may have suspected. She brings life to a world of fantasy and myth, and with her mildly eccentric storytelling she brings the material right up to date, making it accessible to a modern audience.

Tonight's performance has the extra pleasure of two songs featuring Eddi Reader - 'Withered And Died' written by folk legend Richard Thompson and the outstanding 'Canaan's Land'. The set finishes with the self-penned lullaby, 'Who Will Sing Me Lullabies', arguably the most beautiful song on the album. The poignant and moving lyrics are brought to life by Rusby's warm, measured delivery.

Kate Rusby is one of those rare performers who transcends genre to create a style that is all their own. She deserves to succeed in her bid to take folk music to a mainstream audience. And even if she fails, no doubt she'll have a fine time trying.

by Luci Jameson

Carina Round, Islington Elbow Rooms

Carina Round (Monday August 6, 2001 12:00 PM )

Gig played on 05/08/2001 Venue: Elbow Rooms (London)

The Elbow Rooms is an odd venue, where the pool players play on in the background and the Sunday drinkers go about their business. But, with a voice that can't fail to move and an attitude impossible to ignore, Carina Round has got a better chance than most of bringing a gig to life here.

The recent release of her debut album, 'The First Blood Mystery', has seen Carina touring up and down the country and steadily building a strong following. Opener, 'Damn Your Eyes', is sung entirely unaccompanied and contains as much raw soul as it does pure gut-wrenching emotion. It's the right song, dragging the collective attentions from the pints and the pool cues.
Joined by drummer Marcus Galley and double-bass player Simon Smith, the band follows with 'The Lightbulb Song'. With a strong collective sound and an obvious enjoyment of playing together, this band is a refreshingly tight unit.

'The Waves' is a softer, more vulnerable sound, providing a little breathing space before the standout track of the day (arguably the album's finest moment ) 'Let It Fall'. Introducing the song with candour, Round reveals a gentle humour and soft intonation, a contrast to the arresting power of her vocal.

'Let It Fall' is an emotional powerhouse of a song, with a rhythm to get the feet moving and a captivating vocal hook. It is strong on the album, but has to be heard live to be fully appreciated.
As Carina Round ends the set with 'On Leaving', it isn't hard to gauge the mood. The audience stands for a moment, caught up in what they just witnessed. And then the familiar clink of the glasses, and click of cue on ball resumes.

by Luci Jameson