Band Feature: Pulp

Author: Peter Muscutt

Overnight success in twelve years: Are Pulp one of the most resilient bands in pop?

PULP had it hard in the years before their breakthrough performance at the 1995 Glastonbury Festival, where headliners The Stone Roses dropped out, giving the Sheffield outfit their chance.

From their lowly beginnings in 1978, Pulp have possibly had more personnel changes than any other group in recent times - numerous bass players, drummers, and even a guy reading poetry have all passed through the doors since the late seventies. The Pulp we know and love today didn't come together until around 1994/95, with the fairly solid line up of gangly sex god Jarvis Cocker, keyboardist Candida Doyle, drummer Nick Banks, bass player Steve Mackey, guitarists Mark Webber and Russell Senior. Even this line up is no longer current, with Senior departing the band around 1996 to pursue a solo career with his own group, Venini. Since that time, another guitarist, Richard Hawley, who collaborated with Cocker on his Pulp side-project Relaxed Muscle, has been filling in during the meantime.

Pulp's first official release came in the distant past of 1981, when a surprisingly competent track, 'What Do You Say?' (possibly about puberty!) was released on an extremely rare LP of local bands. The first break for the band, after an appearance on John Peel's radio programme, came in 1983, when the youthful band issued their debut LP, 'It'. The meaning behind this title came from Cocker wishing to 'preach' his lyrics and music to the public, using a play on the band's name - 'Pulp-it', as if the album was indeed his pulpit to communicate his message. Of course, nothing really came of the album, apart from the sublime melodies of 'My Lighthouse' (an early single) and 'Blue Girls' a touching ode to the girls of Cocker's (presumably) school days.

Unperturbed by the lack of attention and failure to break into mega-stardom, Pulp continued nonetheless, with work, money and the ever present personnel problems plaguing the group. Without an album to work on, the band issued two EPs on the Fire record label: 'Little Girl With Blue Eyes' and 'Dogs Are Everywhere' (although not included on any albums, the EPs were released in 1994 as the 'Masters Of The Universe' compilation). Again, with no critical acclaim or sign of the millions rolling from the record sales, they relocated to an old warehouse to record their second album, 'Freaks', in 1987. The album was an audible step up from the debut effort, and was almost frightening in its subject matter - fairground freaks, vicious attacks from prejudiced meatheads, anorexic girls, and a twisted take on relationships.

Before the next album, 1992's 'Separations', there would be much change for Pulp. With drummer Nick Banks and bass player Steve Mackey now on board, writing began for the LP. An NME award for 'single of the week' for the track 'My Legendary Girlfriend' soon came along, and it seemed that things were looking up, although this optimism was swiftly brought crashing down when Pulp's record label delayed the release of the album from its original 1990 release date. With nigh on five years since Pulp's last album, it seemed to the music world as though the band were dead and buried. When the album did finally arrive, it was a dramatic change from the quiet acoustics and anguish-filled songs of the 1980s. This was Glam-Pulp, fusing the wry social comments of Cocker with electronics and the ushering in of new keyboards and MIDI sequencing, as well as a new drum machine for Nick Banks to contend with. It was the era of rave, and this new sound of the streets certainly rubbed off on a now London-based Cocker, and the material he and the band were writing. The album still holds up as one of Pulp's finest, with gems like the more electronic-oriented 'Death 2', 'Countdown (about waiting for fame to arrive)' and the eerie, surreal eight minute opus 'This House Is Condemned' (only the second song so far not to feature Cocker on lead vocals, the other being 'Fairground' on the 'Freaks' album).

Late 1992/early 1993 brought a new record label, the Gift outfit, which saw a number of standalone singles released before a new album proper. The singles, 'Babies', 'OU' and 'Razzmatazz' were again another step forward to the band sounding like the Pulp of nowadays, and were rewarded with the first signs of the music industry taking notice. 'Babies' remains a live favourite to the present day, and was kept in the tours the band performed to promote their breakthrough album, 'Different Class'. The quality of the songs Pulp were now recording was noticeable - even the B-sides of the time reeked of class; the sleazy epic 'Sheffield Sex City', the ambient, breathy 'Space' and the character based three-part story of 'Inside Susan'.

1993 also saw the first material from the band's new album, 'His N' Hers', with a single, 'Lipgloss'. Although missing out on a Top 40 position in the charts, that would soon be rectified by the chart placing of 'Do You Remember The First Time?' - an end of the evening anthem at student discos up and down the country, an uplifting ode to losing virginity and the jealousy of one man towards an ex-girlfriend's current squeeze. TV exposure greeted the release of 'His N' Hers', with appearances to promote the '...First Time' single, as well as other tracks from the record. It was perhaps this album which paved the way for 'Different Class' and Pulp's propulsion into superstardom. Many people around the time mistakenly believed that 'His N' Hers' was a debut release, such was their unfamiliarity with the band!

And then, to the success which had evaded the band since the early eighties. With the advent of Britpop, bands such as Blur, Oasis, Elastica and Sleeper were ushered into the music elite, and Pulp bustled in with them. With a richer, seemingly more intelligent subject matter to their songs than most of the crop, Pulp soon rose to the top of the Britpop scene, a shift noticed by Glastonbury helmer Michael Eavis, who was quick to snatch the band as last minute replacements for The Stone Roses at the 1995 festival. For those attending the festival, it was an almost spiritual experience hearing the band's killer anthem 'Common People' exploding out over the amassed thousands of music fans, an experience which would be captured forever when the live version was released as a B-side to the 'Mis Shapes' single later that year. From then on, nothing would be the same for Pulp ever again. With new found fame and popularity, the band unleashed the Britpop-era album 'Different Class' on the UK public. It was a perfect musical picture of Britain, from seedy back door affairs ('Pencil Skirt'), a call to arms for the misfits of the nation ('Mis Shapes'), early nineties rave culture ('Sorted For E's And Wizz'), and the after effects of late nights on the town (the superbly upbeat 'Monday Morning' and 'Bar Italia' - the soundtrack to a thousand hangovers).

Now that Pulp had hit their peak, it would prove hard for the band to live up to the pressures of expectation. Touring heavily to promote the 'Different Class' LP, a glut of reissues and compilations of the band's earlier tracks were released in numerous guises, one of the most comprehensive being 'Countdown 1992 - 1983' a double CD of early tracks and B-sides. The band's next project was to be 1997's 'comeback' single 'Help The Aged', a song that only Jarvis Cocker could have written about the perils of old age. It was the trailer for 1998's 'This Is Hardcore' album, a step back to the darker edge the band last showed on the 'Freaks' album - the track-listing, dominated by tales of pornography, self-doubt, fear and nostalgia didn't make easy listening, yet it was a side of Pulp we had not heard for many years. It was also enough for the band to make a return to the main stage of Glastonbury, and although not repeating the religious experience of three years' previously, was certainly a welcome return to UK soil.

From there on in, Pulp have remained fairly quiet, with only a smattering of singles from 'Hardcore' and 2001's 'We Love Life' album being released. 'We Love Life', while continuing with the themes Cocker was familiar with writing about from previous efforts - drugs, Sheffield and girls being murdered (!) seemed to lack something that previous albums had, the killer edge that made Cocker such a cutting edge lyricist and writer. It contained some classics, such as 'Bad Cover Version' (with an accompanying Band Aid style video with celebrity look-alikes), 'The Trees', a worthy contender to the title of 'concert closer' with 'Sunrise' and the meandering, wistful 'Wickerman'.

And so, at present, Pulp are on an extended break. After telling us on the sleeve of their greatest hits album that they will be back when they get to wherever it is they are going, we're left in limbo, wondering if there's still more to come from Sheffield's finest, or whether this is it - after a nigh on twenty five year journey, has Cocker finally said what he wants to say? Will 'Common People' remain the lasting legacy of the band that beat Britpop? Its hard to say what could lie in store, and a little unfair to say that the band are in decline, after all, bands have continued after hitting their peak - Pink Floyd managed it after climaxing with 'Dark Side of the Moon' just as Pulp have with 'Different Class' - it seems unlikely we'll see a return to that kind of spontaneous form when everything the group touched turned to gold, but fans will no doubt wait patiently for the next message the God of council estate chic (and wearing suit jackets over a bare chest - sorry Jarvis, couldn't resist that one!) has to tell us.

Band Feature: The Go! Team

Author: Dollyrocker

It's not too often that a band comes along that equally confuses and excites the hell out of me, but when I heard The Go! Teams 'The Power Is On' single back in July, I had a warm glowing feeling that I hadn't felt since I heard Quickspace back in 1995, or maybe Beta Band when they put out 'The Patty Patty Sound' EP.

So who the hell are The Go! Team then? Well that's precisely what I thought when I first heard them, they almost sounded like they could have been Japanese (I think one of them is, thus my confusion), but in actual fact they are a bunch of fresh young fellows from sunny Brighton.

I guess that they must have sprung up in the last couple of years, as the date on their 'Junior Kickstart' EP is 2003, but their first LP 'Thunder, Lightning, Strike' has crept out over the last month or so (I think) and I have yet to have had time to actually go record shopping, but when I do, this LP will be first on my list.

So; the music, as I actually know very little about these guys, is like the kind of thing that Charlie Brown and the gang would have made if let loose on the schools music trolley. And trust me, this is a very, VERY good thing! 'The Power Is On' sounds like 'The Number Song' by DJ Shadow played on double speed with Japanese children shouting excitably about Hello Kitty into a mic that came free with a karaoke machine from Argos (and probably did). On the Junior Kickstart EP (get ebaying) we get the title track which sounds like a classic soundtrack from an imaginary 70's cult TV drama, with DOUBLE the energy of all the Strokes wannabes doing the rounds PUT TOGETHER! With harmonicas. The second track; 'Feelgood By Numbers' is just excellent, slightly reminiscent of Gorkys circa 1994, but with a much heavier summer breeze feel about, this is lazy summer music for any time of year. Put your body near the radiator, close your eyes and look at the lamp and PRETEND. The Go! Team would be proud. 'We Listen Everyday' is the EP's closer, and almost sound like an alternative royal anthem, rips off a line from 'Music Of The Night' from Andrew Lloyd Webber, although I don't think this was intentional, bless 'em.

In a music scene seemingly dominated by wannabes and hasbeens, I embrace this band with open arms. They play London Mean Fiddler on 20th November 2004, so go on, treat yourself. It's gonna be one hell of a ride...

Music DVD Review: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Tell Me What Rockers To Swallow

Author: Matti Gregory

When Yeah Yeah Yeahs appeared on the scene back in 2002, riding of the NYC wave led by The Strokes, they were explosive. Their self-titled debut EP arguably outstripped "The Modern Age" as the most promising single to appear from the other side of the Atlantic, and they had a lead singer, Karen O, who had a penchant for thrift-store chic and screaming at the top of her lungs, a la Siouxsie Sioux. They were fresh, they were almost unbelievably cool, and they looked set to take the world by storm (if you'll excuse the cliché).

Since then, though, things have gone a bit quiet. Their debut album "Fever To Tell" failed to build on the initial hype, and now their first DVD looks set to explode the fuss over their live shows. Billed as the best frontwoman in modern rock, Karen O certainly packs a lot of energy - sprinting across the stage wearing a purple, high-cut dress for the opening "Y Control" and bashing into guitarist Nick Zinner, all the while going through the now well-rehearsed list of mildly obscene gestures involving the microphone. But she seems to have a necessity to spend the gap between songs throwing poses for the cameras and spitting water into the air, which would be fine were it not for the fact she takes ages about it. Some of the intros go on for minutes while Karen stops eating grapes and spitting them at the audience for long enough to sing. It makes it quite clear why we love The Strokes - they never hung about, never spent any longer than necessary to get ready for the next song, and never wasted our time.

To be fair, it is sometimes worth the wait. An explosive "Date With The Night" and an increasingly vulnerable "Maps" both wake the crowd up near the end, but most of the time the songs are too slight, partly due to Zinner's guitar regularly getting lost in the mix, to have any impact. A loosely hung together rendition of "Our Time" is the worst offender, never really getting going and lacking the drive necessary to lift the song into the jaw-dropping trash-rock it is on record.

The disappointment is compounded by two completely unrevealing tour documentaries (for want of a much better word - the crowd interviews consist of Americans telling you about how much they love the band until your teeth are ground to stumps out of irritation), a set of bonus songs (i.e. more slightly off-kilter live performances) and the realisation that the unreleased songs aimed at hardcore fans should probably have stayed unreleased. They do have that superb MTV Awards performance though.

This is all a bit harsh on the band really, who are more than capable of being incendiary both on- and off-stage, but it's that knowledge that just throws into sharp relief what a lacklustre performance this is. A real let down.

Live Review: The Soho Dolls at London Elbow Rooms - 28th October 2004

Author: Tom Bailess

What a strange choice of venue! The Elbow Rooms is a pool hall/bar with the ambience of a Wetherspoons. The post-work crowd of men still wearing ties, and locals in tracksuits couldn't look more different to the sharply dressed boys and girls with complicated haircuts who have gathered here to check out two of London's most promising new acts: the Soho dolls and the Rocks. A tiny stage has been set up in the corner of the bar, awkwardly placed requiring the local pool players to squeeze though the crowd to get to the bar.

However there were few complaints from the locals at this intrusion when the Soho dolls took to the stage. Three sexy, small, girls in tight clothes dancing to loud music are most 30 something man's idea of perfect entertainment. We were soon being shoved around by sweaty men in suits trying to get a better look at bassist Patricia's knickers, which left little to the imagination under the bright stage lights.

Despite these inconveniences we did manage to enjoy their set and the dolls gripped the audience with their sexy electro-punk tunes. New single "Prince Harry" had the whole place bouncing along. Things got to fever pitch with the song "Strippa" when singer Maya and Patricia started sleazing things up stripper style, leading to a frenzy of camera flashes and men fumbling for their camera phones.

The front row for The Rocks couldn't have been more different: where there had been slightly older men with collared shirts there were now pretty, young indie girls with fashionable hair. Once the charismatic front man James emerged, you could almost smell the musk as the girls gripped their friends excitedly.

The Rocks put on a great show. James clambered over speakers and pool tables like a monkey, before ending up singing from the middle of the audience. Sarah stood statuesque and stunning, all the while plucking hard rock rhythms out from her guitar. Their vibrant, sing-a-long indie had everyone smiling. "Top of the pops!" declared James, obviously thrilled at the warm reception. Surely it is only a matter of time before either the Rocks or Soho dolls get a big hit. Both are distinctive and know how to arouse a crowd, something not many bands can get right.

Live Review: Pete Doherty at the London Brick Lane Festival 2004 - 12th September 2004

Author: Jessica Cronin

As usual there was tension and the question that lingered on everyone's minds: 'will he show up?' which comes free with his gigs. For this crowd who seemed to be a mix of hardcore Libertine fans who managed to find out about the show, it was less tension and more boredom. The crowd suddenly broke into a loud and excitable applaud when Pete finally bothered to show up no less than an hour late, dressed in a suit, guitar across his back and a harmonica around his neck. The gig turned out to be the most polite gig with his involvement I have ever witnessed compared to the shambolic nights he serves fans with. People who were wise enough to arrive early mellowed out at the front, while everyone else was stood politely behind mingling with each other and singing along to their hero, bearing pity for the unfortunates who came too late to get in.

The collaboration of songs Pete worked through was an odd one, singing Libertine classics like What a Waster and Don't Look Back into the Sun with help from his mate Dot Alison. The crowd happily sung Shoop Shoop Shoop Delang Delang like a footie crowd singing their national anthem. Who would have thought that by the smile on Pete's face that the night before he was pleading that Libertine songs weren't good enough and refusing to sing nothing but Babyshambles songs. Unforgettably, he played the Beatles classic She Loves You with emphasis to Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! and doing it justice, I must say.

It was nice to see the troubled Libertine looking so healthy and a bonus, rather happy: banging his feet; doing an exotic dance and stripping off a little on request of the female half of the crowd (plus a few males). It was hard to say good bye when he gathered his instruments together with help of Jesus (James the guitar tech) and disappearing.

All in all, it was a pretty decent way to spend an afternoon.

Album Review: Hope of the States- The Lost Riots

Author: Sara

The Chichester group have sprung from seemingly nowhere and were a hit over the festival season; their sparkling debut is beautiful. Enemies/friends is the first time we hear Herlihy's weary voice. Lines like Keep your friends close/ Your enemies won't matter in the end make everything sound (no pun intended) hopeful. It's a quirky, almost schizophrenic at times, but not the sort of thing you would devote complete attention to. That is on first listening, the second time around it becomes a clever mix of classical and pop/rock instruments with an typically indie voice. And it works. More up-tempo songs dotted around ensure that attention is not lost, Nehemiah is danceable to; The Red The White The Black The Blue should be loved by everyone.

Although it's quite lengthy, it is definitely worth a listen.

EP Review: Silence Is Sexy EP

Author: Richard Cosgrove

London's Electroclash scene has been gathering momentum for a couple of years now, with the Ju Ju Babies leading the pack and the likes of Gene Serene and Fist Fuck Deluxe providing solid backup, but with the release of their debut EP, Silence Is Sexy have effortlessly elevated themselves to the top of the electroclash pops.

Silence Is Sexy consist of Sebastian and Tara, and while Sebastian may be the brains behind the band, writing the songs, playing the keyboards and coming across on stage like a teutonic sex god (for he hails from Germany, but has spent the last few years in London), it is the interaction between the two of them that elevates this band to the higher plateau of synth pop.

The sexual tension that is played out during their live shows, with each furtive glance, each nonchalant brush of the hand over the other's body, and the tightly choreographed, yet easily played out dance routines that they occasionally indulge in, make them compelling viewing in the way that Kraftwerk and London's own Greenhaus are not. The latter two may be great bands, and I speak as a fan of both, but entertaining on stage they are not.

All of this live entertainment, however, becomes insignificant when we turn to the matter of their debut eponymous EP, and how it sounds on your stereo at home without the visual accompanyment. Thankfully the five songs on offer here do stand up to aural scrutiny, kicking off with "In Electro, Baby", which comes creeping from the speakers like the bastard child of Visage and Sparks, both dark and brooding, and with a sense of theatre that comes from the interplay of Sebastian's smooth vocals and Tara's soulful and seductive backing.

Next up is "Glamour Boy", giving Tara the lead vocals over a scissor-kicking synth line and pounding Euro-disco beat. "They say he's just a nancy boy," Tara informs us as Sebastian plays gender games, proclaiming "boy, I like you" while also being Tara's "favourite toy", all the while exuding the nonchalance that is ever present in their live shows. "Pioneer Ten" follows and is reminiscent of Alphaville's finest work ("Big In Japan" was just the tip of their iceberg, an introduction to a wealth of synthisised treasures for those willing to dig a little deeper). A sprawling landscape of dreamy synths and superb vocals, this is one of those songs that gets better and better every time you hear it, revealing hidden depths on repeat listenings.

"King and Queen" is the most accessible track on the EP, complete with pulsing rhythms and a huge chorus full of pomp and majesty and will be the track that you'll return to again and again intially before you grow into "Pioneer Ten". The EP winds up with "Perfect Dream", conjouring up images of Depeche Mode covering Dead Or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" and is the EP's only so-so tune, which when you consider the quality of the other tracks is no criticism. After all, if you hit 100% with your first release, then where else to go?

Silence Is Sexy have laid the foundations for a killer first full album here, which with their flamboyant and entertaining live shows will guarantee them some serious media attention in the coming months.

Album Review: Various Artists - Disco Undead

Author: Peter Muscutt

There's been a great interest in the soundtracks from zombie films recently. The brilliance of the zombie movie parody "Shaun Of The Dead" was reflected in its excellent soundtrack, a blend of contemporary artists such as Ash and The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, as well as older music interspersed with snippets of dialogue.

There was also a recent release for much of the unreleased library music from the classic "Dawn Of The Dead", which fans have been praying for since the release of the original movie soundtrack. Of course, there's plenty more obscure and bizarre soundtracks for the legion of obscure and bizarre zombie movies out there, and that is the subject matter of this release - an intriguing selection of twelve horror 'themes' reinterpreted by a veritable horde of modern electronic musicians. Its certainly not chart fodder, and to be fair the appeal of this release is probably going to be very limited, but for those curious enough to hunt this album down, you're in, for the most part, for a treat.

It's not essential to have heard the theme tunes that have been re-recorded here (to call them cover versions would be wrong, these really are reinterpretations), however it helps to listen to this CD in context. The opener, Orgue Electronique's "Le Notti Del Terrore", is full of thumping electronic drums and waves of eerie synthesiser that sound as if they were culled from the original theme tune (from Nights of Terror - presumably a Disney film). Gique lend a fantastic hand to the theme from the Lucio Fulci classic Zombie Flesh Eaters (here entitled Fulci's Rotting Children) which includes sampled dialogue from the film (a complete rip off of the 'when there's no more room in hell' speech from Dawn of the Dead!) and replaces the very 70s sounding keyboards with a cool, minimalist strip down.

It And My Computer (don't worry if you haven't heard of any of these bands, names don't matter when the music is this good) turn in a brash keyboard laden track, "Le Droit De Tuer" (a version of the theme tune from "The Exterminator") which comes complete with hissing and popping drums.

One of the finest tracks on this release, "The Pianist And The Reporter" by Bangkok Impact, is a DJ's dream, with a hypnotising drum pattern (imitating a speeded up human heart?) and an almost trance-like tune sprinkled with fat sounding synthesisers. It's hard to imagine this featuring on a horror film soundtrack, but as the title implies, this truly is 'undead disco'!

Another cult classic, Dario Argento's "Suspiria", receives the electronic treatment from Solenoid. Fitting in nicely with the style of other tracks on this album, it's a great track with hints of Orbital about it. The album follows the same template for the remainder of the tracks, although it does seem a bit of a cop out as we're treated to, amongst other things, an original track entitled "Cannibal Sluts" (charming!), and rethinks of themes from films like "The Thing" and "Assault On Precinct 13" - not very undead!

Whilst some of this album is rather forgettable, there are some absolute gems here that will undoubtedly appeal to collectors of rare film soundtracks or lovers of 1970s horror. A definite oddity, this one stands out most for it's originality and inventiveness. Give it a try, you might surprise yourself.

Album Review: Super Furry Animals - Songbook: Singles Vol. 1

Author: Matti Gregory

It's easy to see why so little memorable music came out of the mid-90s. Everyone was so caught up in Cool Britannia and the rise of lad culture that bands started prioritising drinking and fashion above, say, writing good music (you know who you are, Menswear). So when Super Furry Animals signed to Creation Records in 1995 alongside Oasis, they must have seemed like a joke pushed too far, they wrote songs in Welsh, dressed like charity shop assistants, and some of them even had beards.

However, this collection of all 21 of their singles to date demonstrates that far from being Alan McGee's personal court jesters, they were actually a huge breath of fresh air in a rapidly stagnating musical climate. There's a relentlessly upbeat feel to everything here that makes you understand why Welsh has no word for "blue" - "Do Or Die" comes on with the energy of a teenager who's just got their first wah-wah pedal, "Play It Cool" is ludicrously sunny and when "The International Language Of Screaming's" sing along "la-la-la-la" chorus kicks in it's more than enough to persuade you that this would be the soundtrack to everybody's Summer were it not for the record label's oversight of releasing it in the middle of the Autumn.

If "Songbook" has a failing it's SFA's tendency to be a bit too over-the-top. Nearly every song has an absurd "epic" fade out that has a habit of making the sharpest of their tunes sound like Pink Floyd's wet dream, which isn't always a good thing, but such minor flaws are easily ignored when you're listening to a band that have the ability to both make you feel cheery on a cold and wet winter's day and convince you that you can sing along to a song called "Ysbeidiau Heulog".

In the year 2500, when scientists unearth a space capsule filled with 90s indie, they'll all think that SFA must have been the biggest band on the planet. And when you put this up against Oasis, it's pretty easy to see why.

Music Feature: "Why I think mix-taping is an art form" by Lori Daly

Author: Lori Daly

I remember making my first one, I must have been 11 years old finishing up primary school and a girl called Annie started talking to me about Belly and Menswear and Britpop in general, using my I'm-a-glastonbury-brat credentials I made her a tape containing (if I remember rightly) St Etienne, Pulp, Blur, Urge Overkill, Kenickie, and Drugstore.

I don't remember doing it, I just remember getting feedback about it and glowing with pride, that I'd put these specific songs together for someone else in a specific order to show someone what I liked and why I liked it and why I thought they should like it too.

6 years later I met her in her the street of the town I'd long since moved away from and she came up and talked about the mix-tape.

After the first one I was hooked, I'd spent hours kneeling in front of my dads CD collection, with my meagre pile carried downstairs - I started by pulling out what albums I wanted and lying them out on the floor and then I'd put them in order of this would sound good next to that, invisible links, and I'd stop and stumble and stutter through making them.

At first they'd all sound the same - no variation in the genre and then there was that awful period where there would end being six or seven Manic Street Preachers songs on each tape I made.

I made them for new friends and boyfriends and friends who liked Boyzone, I made them as presents because I was selfish and wanted to give them something I enjoyed doing.

As I got older I made more and more tapes for myself - ones with themes and genre variation...

(70s 7's, Fey England, You ain't no rock n roll fun, Pull yourself together, This is Pop?, I don't want you - get out my head!!!) And with names. For parties and for new friends all over again. And suddenly for people halfway across the world.

It's all engulfing, though I no longer kneel in front of the CD collection, sit with scraps of paper and scribble down the odd song to stick on, pick one to start and let myself go from there.

I have no idea how other people make mix tapes or why or if they find it all engulfing but there is something of a thrill in finding the right song to go after the one before, making something that flows and has a collection of oddly connected brilliant sounding music.

Something you've spent hours and hours over to make just right for a friend - to tell them you give a f*ck, to tell them you love them, to tell them that your taste in music is better than theirs.

Mix-tapes are beautiful things, mix CDs are for losers - they don't take the time or the patience and care. They aren't as fragile nor as interesting.

So go and make one - tell someone your taste in music is better than theirs.

Live Review: The Libertines at Orlando Social - 22nd October 2004

Author: Julie Zerbib

For a band in hyped turmoil, The Libertines put on a damn good show. As Carl, John, Gary, and replacement guitarist, Anthony Rossomando engaged in a feverish onstage battle of melodies, the crowd at The Social in Orlando can't seem to get enough. They cheer at the sound of familiar songs like "Don't Look Back Into The Sun", "Can't Stand Me Now" the new single, "What Became Of The Likely Lads", and the ever popular single from their freshman album, "What A Waster" which resonates in the minds of all, regarding ousted front man Pete Doherty.

Johns onstage banter provoked laughter at the front of the stage when he discussed the infamous Red Sox baseball game. "Who knew these Brits could talk baseball!" exclaimed one audience member. There was nothing more obscene in this scene than the time it took for the bands to get onstage. A good forty-five minutes spanned before The Libertines got onstage. Quite an eternity to wait for the epitome of what a band should be. For, that's what the Libertines are, whether it's their journey on the Albion, or their adventures in Arcadia. As far as being one of the best shows of the season, it was also the loudest. Adorned with a cowbell given to him by opening band, Radio 4, one fan couldn't contain himself and contributed to the onslaught of noise coming from the amps. This also caught the attention of Carl Barat who walked over to the front of the stage and shook his hand. The sparks kept flying as the lads got into the encore, playing "France" and "The Narcissist".

As this punk militia trudged on, the crowd acted as witness to an epiphany that despite watching a band dealing with so many problems, The Libs are the voice of a generation. The Libertines aren't just a band, they're a way of life, especially for those of us who are inspired by more than just their music.

Live Review: The Whyte Seeds at London Water Rats - 19th October 2004

Author: Tom Bailess

The Whyte Seeds are a Swedish garage rock band, big in their native Sweden so it was a treat to see them in such a small venue. They have been compared to the Strokes but this is unfair - they have a much stronger 50's rock n roll influence in their music than the 70s rock which the Strokes strive so hard to emulate.

The singer belts out all the tracks from their last album with enthusiasm and the sharply-dressed boys and girls in the audience nod along with cool detachment. Tracks "Shallow Life", "So Alone"and new single "Lost My Love" get the best reception. At least half the audience are Swedish and the end of their set has people shouting for more - in Swedish. Overall, a lot of fun and a good turnout for a Tuesday night.

Support came from Vincent Vincent & the Villains, a shamlessly rockabilly group who could be Bill Haley and the Comets on crack. The two lead singers work well together; both have great voices and a commanding stage presence. Backed up by strong rhythm and bass, the band gripped the audience for the duration of their short set and complemented The Whyte Seeds well. They might be too quirky to get mainstream success but they certainly stand out from the crowd. Look out for their new single out at the moment.

Live Review: Dizzee Rascal at Leeds University - 23rd October 2004

Author: Roger Taylor

Dizzie strays from the grime of London to the evening drizzle of Leeds to show us what all the fuss is about.

It seems that Dizzie Rascal can do no wrong, from winning the Mercury Music prize with his first offering; "'Boy In Da Corner" to following it up with the equally well received "Showtime" and all at the tender age of 19. Having seen him go down a storm at Leeds festival in August it was interesting to see if how the crowd would react on his own tour.

Dizzie got things going with the opening track from current album "Showtime" followed by a cross section of hits including "Fix Up Look Sharp", "I Love You" and "Dream" the current single getting the biggest response. One thing I noticed on this occasion was that half the time you can't tell what he's saying but that he has great stage presence and the fact that you can't tell what he is saying almost becomes irrelevant.

Overall all a good night with Dizzie able to keep the crowds attention all through the set which with some rap gigs can grate after a while. Dizzie finished with "Stand Up Tall" with the venue turning into a full on rave, something that I think Dizzie would be pleased with.

Music Feature: "A Fantasy Clubs Playlist - This Is Pop" by Lori Daly

Author: Lori Daly

A couple of weeks ago I went to a pretty shoddy club night and everything they did, I thought I could do better. I'd paid a tenner to see over-rated badly mixed disco (at an electro techno night) from a DJ who couldn't tell when to work the crowd up..

So in my head I have been devising my own fantasy club night and have cobbled together what would pass for a fantasy setlist (well at least this week...)

You up for coming?

You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory - Johnny Thunders
Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
New Friend - The Concretes
Fisherman - The Congos
Nag, Nag, Nag - Cabaret Voltaire
Mongoloid - Devo
Change - Killing Joke
Losing My Edge - LCD Soundsystem
Pressure - Mylo
Short Skirts - Felix Da Housecat
Eisbar - Grauzone
La Roc 01 - Vitalic

Rock Show - Peaches
Lets Get Sick - Mu
I Still Don't Love You - White Trash
Shoplifting - The Slits
Tongue Tied - Erase Eratta
White Mice - The Mo-dettes
This Is Pop? - XTC
Collapsing New People - Fad Gadget
Human Fly - The Cramps
Fever - Pink Grease
I Hate Models - Neils Children
Psycho - The Sonics
Personality Crisis - New York Dolls
What a Waster - The Libertines
Good Weekend - Art Brut
Three Card Rhumba - Wire
Just Like Honey - Jesus and Mary Chain
Be My Baby - The Ronnettes
Is That All There Is? - Peggy Lee

Band Feature: Kraftwerk

Author: Peter Muscutt

My fascination with Kraftwerk started in 1997, when it was revealed that the band would be headlining at the Tribal Gathering festival in Luton. Having been impressed by a previous visit, the group signed up for the event, sparking a rush of magazine coverage, and sending long term fans mad at the chance to see their reclusive musical heroes live onstage. For me, the experience was limited to listening to a live broadcast of the performance on Radio One (which I later found to be an edited performance, grrrr!) under my covers at around 1am, frantically trying to find a cassette to tape it on.

I had asked various people I knew for information on the band, from my parents, who described them as making "Dr. Who music" (I think it was the synthesisers that led them to make this assumption) and also friends of friends, who rather kindly printed off reams of information on the band members, albums, single releases etc. From leafing through it all, I was amazed by the reviews and descriptions of the music, hearing phrases like 'revolutionary', 'ground breaking', 'influential' and 'innovative' all the way. The very next day, I visited the local record store and bought every Kraftwerk album they had. Mad? Probably, after all, this was based on hearing one live performance on the radio!

Tribal Gathering kick started a blaze of activity not seen since Kraftwerk's last album, 1991's "The Mix", a rerecorded greatest hits package that received divided feedback from fans, some questioned the need to remix their most popular songs, fearing the creativity that had resulted in the original tracks being recorded would be compromised, whereas others hailed it as yet another innovative step by the electronic pioneers, updating and refreshing their music for the 'rave' generation.

Of course, it would have been just too perfect to expect a new album around the time of the Tribal Gathering appearance, but this didn't stop the rumour mill working overtime, with talk of new songs and even a single being released. Despite Kraftwerk airing two new compositions at Tribal (still unreleased, both, apparently, deemed 'unsuitable for release' by Messrs. Hutter and Schneider), there was no new music officially released (although the gig was a gift to bootleggers who, until some low key German concerts in 1997 and the Tribal appearance, had to be content with hawking copies of live gigs from 1991 and earlier).

Kraftwerk's live output continued steadily, with shows in the USA and South America in 1998, and the release of a (halfway) official live album, four tracks from a 1975 concert (which, rather hilariously, featured the band's electronic drumkit breaking down). The release of 1999's "Expo 2000" single raised pulses of Kraftwerk fans across the globe once more, yet this too proved to be a false start on the much anticipated new album, as the track was released as a standalone single, an extended version of a jingle the band had recorded for the Expo exhibition (the jingle was the subject of outrage when it was discovered how much they had been paid for 'composing' the musical motif).

And then, from out of the blue, came the day that all Kraftwerk fans had been patiently waiting for since 1986: August 4th, 2003, the release of a brand new album in the form of "Tour De France Soundtracks". Well, perhaps to say 'brand new' is incorrect, as the album consisted of cinematic pieces of music, a far cry from proper 'pop songs' like "The Model" and "Neon Lights". It was, in essence, a soundtrack to the world famous cycling event, a subject they had themselves sung about in 1983. The fact that there were two newly recorded versions of the track Tour De France (one a digital, The Mix style upgrade, the other a meandering 15 minute journey divided into various sections) may have seemed like filler, but to fans across the world this didn't matter. At last there was new material coming out of the secretive Kling-Klang studio. Although not as groundbreaking as previous efforts when electronic music was still in its infancy, it proved that the band could undeniably make a record that sounded like Kraftwerk, despite the lack of innovation.

And then there was the world tour to promote this new found creative streak. Spanning sixty nine dates across North and South America, Japan and Europe, it was a monumental undertaking similar to the approach of their 1981 Computer World tour.

The three London dates Kraftwerk played in March, split across the Royal Festival Hall and the Brixton Academy, were the UK fans' chance to experience the thrill of a Kraftwerk concert first hand. With a new album to promote, the set list differed from previous outings, immediately obvious with the change of opening song, from "Numbers" (which appeared much later in the set list) to "The Man Machine". This favourite had been resurrected on the 1997/98 concerts, and its promotion to opening number was telling. The staples of any good Kraftwerk gig were here in abundance, including rapturous applause for "The Model", the pure theatre of "The Robots"(an obviously prerecorded version while we were entertained by the 'dancing' robot dummies) and the impressive animations and video footage on the three large screens playing behind the band.

The group played for the first half of the show in dapper red shirts, black ties (a reflection of the 'uniform' of The Man Machine cover) and black jackets, however their attire towards the latter half of the gig changed dramatically, first to including flashing red LED's on the ties, and then to green luminous gridlike bodysuits. This striking change resembled something from the film Tron, and fitted in with the sound of the closing songs, including the burbling synthesizers and vocodered vocals of "Aerodynamik", the second single from the album. The traditional set closer, "Music Non Stop", was kept in place, and marked another Kraftwerk tradition, the playing of a solo by each member before they vacated the stage, leaving Ralf Hutter to end the track with the looping sample of 'music, non stop' as the assembled fans left the venue.

So what next for Kraftwerk? After the recent explosion in activity, it would be sensible to look back at historical trends and expect a long wait until something new happens with the boys from Dusseldorf, if indeed anything does happen (these guys are in their late fifties!) but then again they could surprise us with more new material, possibly taken from the sessions for the Soundtracks album? Ralf Hutter has spoken before of the concept of a 'global village' which may influence a future recording, but as seen before, rumours should not be taken too seriously, especially when it comes to the most reclusive band in the music business today.

Kraftwerk have never been an 'album a year' type of group (save for their earlier hippy days), but for that we should be thankful that the long periods of silence have brought us classics like the conceptual "Radioactivity", "Trans Europe Express", the album that inspired electro artists like Afrika Bambaataa and "Computer World", with its revolutionary look at technological advances (who would have guessed internet dating would be so successful after a song like "Computer Love"?). Whatever happens with 'the robots', fans will be hoping it will be worth the wait, however long that may be.

Classic Albums: The Strokes - Is This It

Author: Aurliea Wilson

The Strokes- Is This It
Julian- vocals
Albert- guitar
Nick- guitar
Nickolai- bass
Fabrizio- drums

In late 2001 the opening of the new rock movement bringing in the likes of the four 'the' bands: The White Stripes, The Hives, The Vines and The Strokes all had big debuts during 2001-2002. These bands have influenced bands of today. The Strokes are 5 people from the New York City music scene. This Is It.

Is This It:- The Strokes having a short opener to preview what the CD will sound like. There is no actual drum beat; just a tapping on the cymbals

"The Modern Age": This has a drum beat the pushes the song along. The lyrics tell a story as most of Julian's work does. This song was released in the UK on an EP.

"Soma": Fast paced song. Different people have different meanings for "Soma" you will have to listen to it yourself.

"Barely Legal": Oh how I love this song. The lyrics are great! On the EP version my favorite lyric is 'I took 5 dollars won't get me far; my last resort is to steal your car'. Great song about 'stealing your innocence' and being with your friends and what they think.

"Someday": A US single. The lyrics are about what you miss and what you enjoy. There are a great variety of tempos.

"Alone, Together": The drums and the bass don't sound alike but complement each other. This is many people's favorite song and it's easy to see why.

"Last Nite": The Strokes very first single. This video doesn't give the song justice. Great beat to keep the song moving.

"Hard To Explain": A fun song! About things that are there but 'hard to explain'. Fab's skills are keeping the basic rhythm while Nick hastens or slows it. Classic.

"When It Started": Great B-side. A 'slow Strokes' song if it exists. The beginning drums lick is awesome.

"Trying Your Luck": This sounds like a retro song. Could have existed 20 years ago and still be a great song or 20 years in the future. The guitar has a lick that is the beat versus the usual drum.

"Take It Or Leave It": Normally I don't like repetitative songs, but this is an exception. A great closure sending the message 'Do you like it or Not?'

In the UK, The Strokes released a different song instead of 'When It Started' called 'New York City Cops'. In spite of September 11th, they took it off the CD and replaced it with the B Side. I own the American version and I have not heard this song.

Live Review: Libertines at Montreal Cabaret La Tulip - 16th October 2004

Author: Melanie Lapierre

What became of the likely lads? They're not likely dead yet and they proved it last Saturday at the Cabaret La Tulipe in their Montreal's north american tour break. The Libertines, even without Pete Doherty who left the band earlier this year, rocked the house with their hits from "Up The Bracket" and from their second eponym album. They started strongly with a B-side, "The Delaney" and they played songs back-to-back with energy and chemistry from "I Get Along" to "Arbeit Mach Frei" passing through their classic "Up the Bracket" and other singles such as "What A Waster" and "Don't Look Back Into The Sun"

Seems the guys had real fun on stage, showing their pretty and sexy rock'n'roll habits and lifestyle "a la The Clash". The crowd danced, sing along and were very well chuffed. On the other hand, a three-piece from Cardiff, McLusky opened the gig strongly with their garage heavy kind of tunes, making funny comments between the songs with their particular sense of humor.

Briefly, it was an amazing performance by both bands, a great rock'n'roll evening for everyone who was there...

The Libertines setlist:

The Delaney

Don't Look Back Into The Sun

The Saga

Vertigo

Can't Stand Me Now

Begging

Death On The Stairs

Up The Bracket

Road To Ruin

Last Post

Time For Heroes

May Day

Plan A

Ha Ha Wall

Tell The King

Boy Looked At Johnny

Boys in the Band

Good Old Days

What a Waster

Encore;

Narcissist

Likely Lads

I Get Along

Classic Albums: Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine

Author: Richard Cosgrove

Every now and again an album comes along that stops you dead in your tracks and make you sit up and pay attention, really pay attention to it. Although released in 1989, Nine Inch Nails' "Pretty Hate Machine" was such an album for me, arriving in my possession at just the right time to burrow under my skin and remain firmly lodged there to this day.

Up to this point, my two great musical loves had been 80s metal, bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Bon Jovi and the like, and in complete contrast the cold mechanical synthesised pop of Gary Numan, who's Replicas album (under the Tubeway Army name) had the distinction of being the first long player that I spent my own money on. As I lowered the needle onto the "Pretty Hate Machine" vinyl that my brother had insisted that I listen to, little was I to know that my two musical worlds were about to collide head on.

"Head Like A Hole's" intro of electronic clicks and huge, crisp drums began to bleed from my speakers and I let the synthesised bass line wash over me. In stark contrast to the good time rock anthems and Numan's paranoid android musings, here suddenly was someone who was speaking my language. Trent Reznor was angry, and not just a little annoyed, but reallypissed off at the world and feeling like no-one understood just what he was feeling. "I'd rather die than give you control," he screamed over buzzsaw guitars and I knew exactly where he was coming from. As a teenager it was almost mandatory to be pissed off at work, school, your parents, the world in general, but here at last was a voice to articulate those feelings.

"Head Like A Hole" sequed into "Terrible Lie" and Reznor asked "Hey God, why are you doing this to me?" over a huge lurching riff, underpinned by a doom-laden teeth-rattling bassline and sparse, repetitive keyboards. If "Head Like A Hole" was a rant against the world, then "Terrible Lie" turned the spotlight inwards, articulating feelings of insecurity and despair. "Don't take it away from me, I need something to hold on to," Trent pleaded, a theme continued over the hip-hop breaks of "Down In It", in which he mused "I used to be somebody". If Aerosmith and Run DMC had been hailed as pioneers in fusing rock and rap, then here was the unsavoury cousin of that union, all big beats and distorted guitars presided over by Reznor's sneering almost spoken vocals.

"Sanctified" is up next, a hypnotic drum and bass riff on the one hand numbing us, but on the other assaulting us aurally with the occasional electronic squelch before plunging us down into darkness with "Something I Can Never Have's" repetitive piano line, feeling the despair seeping into our souls as Trent mourns the loss of himself, becoming "a fading fucking reminder of who I used to be". This is one of those songs that when listened to after a bottle of red wine can chill the marrow in your bones and take you to a dark place that you might not want to be, but which is at the same time very comforting.

Side two of Pretty Hate Machine kicks off with the cold, abrasive "Kinda I Want To". "I know it's not the right thing, and I know it's not the good thing, but kinda I want to," Trent implores, and it's a sentiment that we can all identify with, having been there at some point in our lives. The break in this song is nothing short of awesome, all distorted guitars and huge drums, creating a sense of musical bedlam which leads headlong into the next track, Sin, an almost anti-disco song that has all of the drive and energy of a dance tune, but is shot through with sneering attitude and abrasive synth stabs.

"That's What I Get" continues the theme of rejection and isolation, a throbbing yet subtle bassline providing the canvas for Trent's revelation that his apparent betrayal by the subject of this song "maybe didn't mean that much, but it meant everything to me." From here we're into "The Only Time", where he returns to the themes of "Kinda I Want To", telling us "I'm drunk, but right now I'm so in love with you, and I don't want to think too much about what we should or shouldn't do."

How better to end an album detailing such dark emotions and rejection than with a final desperate plea for some kind of payback. On "Ringfinger", Reznor's acceptance that "if I was twice the man I could be, I'd still be half of what you need" brings him to ask for a simple request to "do something for me", that something being to "sever flesh and bone, and offer it to me". The song progresses into a cacophany of beats, screeching guitars and repetitive basslines before finally lurching to and end in a wail of white noise, leaving the listener alone to contemplate the darker areas within themselves.

Pretty Hate Machine is an album that once heard in the right (or wrong) frame of mind, will stay with you and is strangely uplifting despite the crushing desparation of many of the lyrics. A modern classic for the disenfranchised generation.

Album Review: Soulwax - Any Minute Now

Author: Dollyrocker

For those of you not familiar with Soulwax, they sprang into the nations consciousness back in 1999 with their second LP; 'Much Against everyone's Advice'. I don't think that they were doing anything outstandingly different at the time, although they certainly had a hardcore following in London, and the first time I became really aware of them was when I was lucky enough to witness them doing their debut 'Trash' debut DJ set at Londons now defunct 'The Annexe'. They created an impact for sure, mashing up Beck accapellas with Prodigy instrumentals AND and making it sound COOL!

Before you knew it, they were DJing everywhere, and two years after I saw them at Trash, they were happily blowing minds at the monthly London Bridge electro bash; Bodyrockers, where they would each month get together with FC Kahuna, Erol Alkan and Lazurus to play all the latest Electro and Techno, with the odd mash up chucked in for good measure. So where did that leave them as a band with their newly (or soon to be found) superstar DJ tag? Thankfully, as they found themselves with an early peak, back in the studio working on the recently released 'Any Minute Now'. I could have sworn that this was supposed to have come out in 2003, but hey.

So what lies beneath the surreal (and in all honesty, a tad cheesy) artwork? Finished squinting everyone? Right, lets get on with the LP then.

"E Talking", which is also the next single by the way, opens things up nicely, showing a nice mix of pyschedelia, electro and good ol' indie, shows that they have certainly picked up a few tricks via their record boxes. Bound to be an indie club smash, this. You are probably already aware of 'Any Minute Now', which not only was overshadowed by The Libertines last single, ie; released in the same week, but is also in the same key. Isn't life a funny old stoat?

We get electro and rock in pretty much equal measure, and in all honesty, it's all very, very good indeed. If you were to spend a tenner on a new release LP this year, then I would make it this one, or maybe Scissor Sisters. 'A Ballad To Forget' is lovely 70s piano ballad, without a whiff of Elton Johns fur coats to be found, thank gawd.

The real genius moment on the LP is 'NY Excuse' which is like an update 'I'm Waiting For My Man' spun through the Electro converter, with lots more style and a shitload of euphoria. Total brilliance, I would seriously assume that this is also a future single.

'Dance 2 Slow' is a dreadful LP closer, but when most bands put out shabby LPs with one or two tracks that are OK, this LP really shines out as the brilliant tracks are totally amazing.

Don't give up your day jobs boys, eh?

Album Review: Napalm Death - Leaders Not Followers Part 2

Author: Greg James

What the hell am I doing reviewing this album, right? It's not sexy, it's not glamorous and the Napalm boys aren't about to waltz out onto a catwalk and blow kisses at you through a smattering of glitter before sashaying back to the dressing room to bugger the rent boy. I'll tell you why I'm reviewing this album. Because it's GREAT! AWESOME! FACE-SMASHING!

This is the kind of album which rewires your brain circuitry, plugs you into the mains and then leaves you to sizzle, fry and EXPLODE fifteen times over! As an album, it shouldn't work. Why not? First off, it's a tribute album. That luvverly beard stroking concept wheeled out when a band can't do anything else because their imaginations are as vacant as George Dubya without his wire. BUT Napalm Death aren't dead and done because they've released two ear cinerating albums called "ENEMY OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS" and "ORDER OFTHE LEECH". In their collective thirties, they're a rampaging Godzilla compared to the White Stripes' pretty but rubbish Mothra.

Secondly, the tracks are all by the kind of grotty meddle and punkoid bands only an uber under the ground thrash head with gay facial hair would be able to name and explain about. If you're a mainstream partyin' rock and roller who likes to slam to Andrew WK and The Sweet, you're going to feel a little lost here, yes? No problem. Help is at hand with Napalm growler Barney Greenway providing liner notes to say who is who and why they were great in the hardcore speed meddle whatchamacallit etc etc.

BUT, and this is the mega supah important bit; you don't need these notes really because once you plug your fragile ickle girl ears into this album, Napalm Death grabs you by the danglies and you're off! You will never be the same again neither! What Napalm Death do is excise all those bits in Heavy Meddle which are damn well fist chewing in their tedium. The widdlesome solos, the howling castrated monkey singing, the agonising rack like sensation of songs dragging on and on AND on. Most importantly, there are absolutely no elves, vikings or flipping orcs. These choons are distilled with pure hatred, anger and the desire to beat someone to death with a moisthaddock.

Much like Motorhead and Amen, Napalm break everything down to dirty grooves, filthy guitars that go KRUNCH! and drums that blast your ears with the delicacy and finesse of a nuclear blizzard. Music that you can feel and move to rather than music you scratch your chin to. Like Drum and Bass gone really really wrong. Like Hip Hop gone darker, harsher and madder than hell. Like T.Rex and Alvin Stardust with big rottweiler style chompy teeth. Each song erupts, disperses, lets you take in a breath of the fallout and then the next song does the same again and AGAIN before it's all over. Your twitching jellified finger reaches out towards the REPEAT button.You need that hit again! Yes, it's a tribute album. Yes, it's songs by lots of meddle and 'ardcorebands who probably whiff of stale wee. BUT this album ROCKS and for this reason alone, it should be yours or your mother's!

Album Review: Polysics - Polysics Or Die!!!!

Author: Dollyrocker

Polysics. If you haven't heard them yet then you can console yourselves in the fact that their new(ish) album entitled; Polysics or Die!!!! is a collection of the cream of the crop from their last three LPs and is available in the shops as we speak. In a fairly similar way to The Hives, Polysics had been around for a few years before getting much press, and I certainly hadn't heard of them until they headlined FROG! in July.

Now Dave, co-promoter of aforementioned club, is no stranger to getting overexcited about things, and generally being on the pulse in terms of putting on new bands that are on their way up, (and in all fairness, a few rotten ones too..) was virtually foaming at the mouth when reviewing Polysics gig in retrospect, and it was on that basis that I picked up their most recent offering.

First of all, they are from Japan. It might just be me here, but I have often felt that a lot of the best music either seems to come out of Japan, or be heavily influenced by that whole scene, and Polysics proved to be no dissapointment. Oh sure, there are influences, Devo, Ramones, XTC, Wire, but it's all strung together with such good humour it actually reminds me more of early Supergrass. In Japanese, on poppers.

So, what have we got for our money then? Well, more fuzz scuzz power pop than you can shake a stick at for starters. On 'Black Out Fall Out' we get cutesy girl vocals from Kayo, with more moog droogs and SFA style harmonies for those of us with more of an ear for melody. 'My Sharona' sounds like Fisherspooner jamming with The Futureheads with one of the robots from Daft Punk jumping in on the (terminally hip) bandwagon.

According to their website, Polysics sing the theme song for "Super Robot Monkey Team Hyerforce Go!" on adventure JETIX, and I can totally see why they got picked. Sci-fi power pop for the millennium. Now if they were on tour supporting Le Tigre, that really WOULD be something...

Go buy.

Band Feature: Franz Ferdinand

Author: Josie Afolabi

I was laying in my bed this morning and I was thinking about Franz Ferdinand. As you may or may not do. But not about how HAWT!! Alex may be etc etc (like some of the fans I've witnessed), but on how well they have done this year, this ONE year! The conclusion I came up with is that they have followed the perfect formula for optimum success. Its like someone has written "Musical Domination for Dummies" and landed it right in the hands of Mister Kapranos.

By releasing "Darts of Pleasure" and making it a limited edition CD when they were relatively unknown, they are able to check the "Limited Edition Single that hardcore fans will go on a frenzied hunt" Box. Then, releasing THE ANTHEM (there is no other word for it) "Take Me Out". This song was EVERYWHERE. Shops, background music on well known soap operas, loops on radio shows, adverts, announcements, you couldn't get away from it. Not that anyone wanted to. Remix after remix after remix was made (lets not talk about THAT Daft Punk one) and a video that screams "I'm art! Buy me on DVD!"

After such a big hit, they didn't then lag behind and become the resident couch fillers on The Saturday Show (coughMcFlycough) and try and milk it for all its worth, no. "Matinee" was released this time with the "catchy dance sequence" box checked, you could sit and watch this video and just jazz hand you heart away, and it also had the comical video element too.

Then came the festivals, T in the Park, Reading/Leeds = a lot of pleased fans, and then the influx of awards Mercury Music Prize, a VMA = a lot of pleased Media toffs. What now? "Michael". Infectious, controversy ridden sexathon of a single. Are they gay? Are they bi? Are they together? (even with the hitch on release) does them justice with a 17th chart position on their fourth release from an album, which is pretty darn respectable.

Then transatlanic release of "This Fire" ensures that fans get their favourites released (with a killer video) and Franz don't get into the trap of completely draining an album (coughSnowPatrolcough), because it's released in a different country. And now to top it all off, they are creating their new record early next year. No JJ72 esque eternal wait. I think they have played the media wave just right.

I say well done Franz, and Domino Records of course.

Classic Albums: The Clash - London Calling

Author: Shola Aleje

I believe that for every artist, there is one album that truly defines their sound. For U2 it was "The Joshua Tree", for the Red Hot Chili Peppers it was "BloodSugarSexMagik" and for The Clash it was "London Calling". For those of you who aren't familiar with The Clash, they are truly the soundtracks of the 70s and early 80s.

"London Calling" is undoubtedly the key element in my collection with the ability to fuse Rock, Punk and Reggae this is truly a brilliant album. Gun's of Brixton is a rare edgy rock fused song and is a direct response of the Notting Hill riots, which happened, in the late 70s.

Songs such as "Train in Vain" (a funk-rocking track which was originally not supposed to be on the album) and "Lovers Rock" (a beautiful soulful track with a real reggae vibe) clearly states why The Clash have earned themselves in musics Hall of Fame.

Joe Strummers voice goes right through me when I heard the song "Jimmy Jazz", a unusual non manufactured voice proves that this song truly comes from the heart. Luckily The Clash have released a 25th Anniversary London Calling edition which features a rare DVD of the clash recording the album at Wessex studios.

Further Listening: "Combat Rock" not as good as "London Calling" but great songs such as "Rock The Casbah" (a track which Mick Jones quoted as the only Clash song you can really dance to) and pop classic "Should I Stay Or Should I Go".

Classic Albums: Ride - Nowhere

Author: Cas Kaplan

The early 90's, although I wasn't aware enough to really appreciate it then, stands alone as one of my favorite musical eras of them all. Seattle grunge came to the rescue and sealed the coffin of the Sunset Strip hair metal scene, Blur and Suede were jumpstarting the Brit-pop revolution, Operation Ivy had its glorious fifteen minutes, and the Beastie Boys were at their height. But the thing I think I love the most about this momentous time in rock history is the coming of the shoegazers.

It's not that I love every shoegazing band out there; not by a long shot. Bands like Curve, Swervedriver and the Jesus and Mary Chain are tragedies of the movement in my eyes. But bands like the Stone Roses, Lush, My Bloody Valentine, and even Yo La Tengo were repeatedly spanking the sadomasochist music aficionados with genuine masterpieces like "Loveless". But my favorite band of that era only produced one masterwork of shoegazing genius before leaving the genre behind for (still decent) pop rock, and eventually the neo-psychedelic disasters that were "Carnival of Light" and "Tarantula". You heard me right; my favorite shoegazers are the one and only Ride.

Right off the bat, the buggers smack the listeners in the face with "Seagull", a dizzying six and a half minutes of frantic, noisy feedback squalls over a familiar bass line, coupled with unrelenting vocal harmonies and the entire production drowning in guitar noise. Songwriters Andy Bell (now playing bass for Oasis) and Mark Gardner don't let you come up for air, either; "Kaleidoscope" is similarly arranged, but with a more accessible verse, chorus, verse type of structure, even tighter double guitar and vocal work and ridiculously fast, busy, and obviously impatient drumming from prodigal percussionist Loz Colbert.

The album slows down considerably after these tunes, leaving you coughing and sputtering for oxygen, and the songwriting takes a turn for the emotional. Unfortunately, it's mostly songs like these that really bring forth Bell and Gardner's lack of lyrical prowess; "In A Different Place", which is already a comparatively boring song after the first two tracks, has little to it lyrically besides the tired mediocrity of what it's like to be with someone you love. "Polar Bear" picks things up from there nicely though, and remains one of my favorite songs on this record, with slippery metallic guitars, brilliant vocal harmonizing, and expertly placed tom fills on the part of the drummer, although again the lyrics are a tad derivative, ("Why should it feel like a crime/if I want to be/with you all the time/why is it measured in hours?/you should make your own time/you're welcome in mine.") or somewhat nonsensical ("But when she said "please/raise the roof higher, nobody heard/they never noticed a word/the light bulbs burn/her fingers will learn."). Thankfully, Dreams Burn Down is a flawless, lethargic romp with a f*cking ingenious chorus made entirely of feedback noise.

The tone of the album darkens rather significantly after this song for some reason, it's not to say that the songs aren't well written, but how depressing they can really be sometimes can be quite unwelcome. But this all leads to the band's finest moment: "Vapour Trail" is one of the best rock songs of the bloody decade, and with all that happened in the 90's, that's saying a lot. Delicate moving guitar chords and drums that are (for once) not overplayed compliment the reverent sighing of affecting lyrics. Often when I listen to this song, I'm overcome with the emotion, and I can't help but just revel in its masterpiece. Sweet, romantic lines like "The sun may blind my eyes/I'll love you anyway" and "You are a vapour trail/in a deep blue sky" are beautifully human, and the melancholy string section adds to the overall emotion. Pretty much everything after is pretty cheerful ("Taste"), and still well written, although some of it falls a bit outside the shoegazing spectrum. Still pop genius, although almost too poppy to truly fit with the rest of the record.

Most fans of this style of music would much prefer the masterful studio album "Loveless" to "Nowhere", but sometimes the endless layers of tracks and wall of sound get a bit oppressive. When I want an album that never lets me down, I turn to "Nowhere".

Album Review: The Fever - Red Bedroom

Author: Emily Jane

Last week I went to The Sokol to see The Faint. It was an awesome night, not only because I got to see The Faint, but because I discovered a new band to be in love with: The Fever. They were like a mixture of some of my favorite music, like a blend of The Hives and The Faint. I immediately bought their new album, Red Bedroom.

The album, as a whole is great. It is has a good flavor that I don’t see much in albums by "underground" bands; it is up beat and catchy. All of the tracks have something special unlike "Room On Fire" by The Strokes which sounds like one very long song; each song has a phrase or guitar riff that makes it memorable. A few of the tracks really stick out though, both because of their retro style and vocals.

The first track, "Cold Blooded" is one of my favorites. It knows how to get stuck in my head and not let me go. Not in a bad way like "Who Let the Dogs Out" which repeats itself in one big annoying circle but, in a good way like when my mind goes blank and Ms. Anderson rambles on and on about variables and exponents all I hear is "she's so cold, she's so cold, she's so cold."

The fifth track, "Put It On You" has a retro theme about it that I really appreciate in a song because it is fresh. I could picture Tracy Turnblad from "Hairspray" jumping and dancing around to this kind of song. (Yes I am a drama nerd) It shows that they can move away from their regular stuff, like The Hives did in "A Little More for Little You" from Tyrannosaurus Hives. It is different while fitting in with the rest of the album.

The Fever is not only great in the music department, let me tell you ladies; they are a great looking band. Geremy Jasper (awesome name!), lead vocals, is not only good looking in the conventional sense, but he has a whole artsy, musical aura about him that could make anyone go crazy. Chris Sanchez, lead guitar, has a very cool hippie thing about him. I don't know if it is the crazy hair or the vest but it is great. Keith, J and Achilles are also very pretty! (Wow! I didn’t mean to but I sounded very Seventeen Magazine there!)

Over all The Fever is a great band. I can not wait to see what becomes of these guys. I think that Red Bedroom is a great album that every indie rock fan should own.

Live Review: Mooney Suzuki at London Garage - 18th October 2004

Author: Alexa Evans

Ahhhhh, The Garage Highbury, a quaint little venue which on the 18th October 2004 became the stopping post of rock and roll legends in the making. From the moment they graced the stage like four lost extras from the Mary Poppins chimney sweep routine I was mesmerised. Sure, I had the first album and had seen a few pics on the website but nothing prepared me for the astounding performance I was about to view. As if the usual Garage crowd oddballs weren't entertaining enough Mooney Suzuki well and truly rocked me and the rest of Highbury from head to toe!

Sammy Jones Junior led the band through an amazing set with a happy arrogance that made you nod with approval; I could almost read everyone's minds as they danced like I imagine they never had before. Graham Tyler donning one of the most spectacular leatherette waistcoats I have ever seen was also outstanding on lead guitar, as he swayed around the stage and often in to the front row he was supported by dozens of hands helping him back to his feet. There was so much personality bursting form the stage that you didn't know quite where to look and for me personally this signifies a band that you want to see over and over again.

As they belted out great song after song you could tell that "Alive and Amplified" was going to become your new favourite album on its release the following week, the single from the album did not disappoint and there was not one single gig goer not sweating their own body weight as they danced along.

Another absolute classic was "Shake That Pussy" with the kind of rhythm that has you tapping your feet from the first chord and saw the band playing an remarkable collection of guitar solos and drum scales and I think this would make a sure hit next single. Further thumbs up should go to the drummer resembling Tiny Tim minus his crutches with his cheeky chappy attire who scaled the amp system at every given opportunity much to the crowds applause and amusement.

The bands antics as being 'a little bit special' were only emphasized when the singer took to the guitarists shoulders whilst both still playing their guitars and striding through the audience. This was SPECIAL. Even when the lead singer began slightly falling he showed no panic as he confidently knew his adoring fans would in the words immortalised by the Topgun soundtrack 'lift him up where he belonged' and during this my man proudly received his very first 'rock injury' from the fret bar of Sammy Jones' guitar. Another victim of a 'rock injury' was a girl next to me who got caught in the face with a scissor kick during another of the bands superb crowd surfing whilst still playing escapades. On behalf of everyone I would like to wish her luck with her up coming reconstructive jaw surgery and see you at the next gig, I'm sure she thought it was worth taking the hit to keep the band surfing!

I once read that in the days when rock and roll was still a developing musical style speaker quality was so poor that the only way to make bands sound ok was to turn the volume up to 11 so that it was so loud you couldn't hear how bad the songs were, well I would like to say that's no longer the case, yes it was loud and maybe even turned up to 12 but they were fantastic songs and a live band not to be missed.

Whatever music you are into this is a fantastic feel good experience which leaves you with the same warm elation as when you find a tenner you had forgotten about in an old jean pocket. I urge you to see this band at least once in your life time and support them as they are the new rock royalty. Mooney Suzuki, I salute you.

Single Review: The Departure - Be My Enemy

Author: David White

Right now, The Departure are living the dream. Formed in January 2004, they signed to Parlophone after eleven gigs, showcasing just six songs. Impressive to say the least. And this is Parlophone we're talking about here, not Alan McGee's 'a-band-a-day-keeps-the-midlife-crisis-at-bay' Poptones label. So what did they see in them?

Well that's pretty easy - by singer David Jones own admission, "It must have been because we looked so good". And look good they do. Uniform haircuts with textbook fringework, a liberal sprinkling of eyeliner, and an appreciation of quality footwear. A scarf here, a tie there, it's all good stuff. And fair play to them. Music has been as much about style as substance ever since Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil, Elvis put on his leathers for his comeback special and Bowie became the alien. So there's nothing wrong with that, and The Departure are no mugs at it.

When it comes to what the A&R heard, it gets a bit less obvious, at least on the evidence of this song. From his vocal enunciation Jones fancies himself as a bit of a Bowie, but his tone is more like an anglophiled Brian Molko, whilst his lyrics, 'Won't you be my enemy, it's easier that way', maintain a nice Joy Divisional sense of despair. The angular guitars don't exactly back away from this, but Sam Harvey's lead does seem to be trying to inject a shot of underlying melody from the vein of Johnny Marr or Bernard Butler - without ever reaching such dizzy heights - along with the obligatory scratched post-punk moments. A couple of curmudgeonly time changes momentarily break up the stomping rhythm, powered along by a nicely funky bass line, the only possible purpose being to remind us that hey, these boys are artists, you know? A lot of influences then, spread across vaguely dissonant parts that don't quite make the whole.

The Departure want to make "dark music you can dance to" and are having a good go at it, certainly, more than a few feet will be marching along to "Be My Enemy" this weekend. But at the moment, there are bands out there who are doing it better. Interpol are darker, Franz Ferdinand and The Killers more accomplishedly ebullient, and whether they like it or not, it's alongside bands like these that The Departure are setting themselves with their open worship at the altar of the 80s. They haven't as yet got the same substance to match the style that got them here, and as far as they've come in a year, in the face of such stiff competition, if they don't take-off soon the dream might not last another one.

Music Feature: World Air Guitar Championships 2004

Author: Richard Cosgrove

At last! I've found a world-class event that not only am I very good at, but that with a little practice and dedication I could actually become world champion at! What endeavor is this, I hear you cry? Well, it's the ancient art of, errrrr, air-guitaring!

I was flicking through the several thousand channels that NTL thoughtlessly pumps into out flat the other night, and lo and behold, came to rest on Kerrang! TV and the world air-guitaring championships! I immediately sat up straight on the sofa and watched, jaw drooping, fingers twitching, as the last 17 years just melted away and I was 17 again, on the dancefloor at Rock City in Nottingham (just about the only floor area on the club that wasn't soaked with beer, vomit and other stains that it's best not to think too much about.....) and assuming the position that only the die-hard rock fan feels instinctively contorted into when he/she hears loud guitars.

Feet placed well apart, the better for testing the spandex in your trousers (and for displaying the uncomfortably tight crotch area - uncomfortable not only for the wearer, but also for anyone within viewing distance), left arm thrust out at a 79 degree angle to the upper torso (scientifically proven to be the optimal stance for the air-guitarist*), right arm frantically moving up and down in the crotch area fast enough to produce a blurring effect, and head titled every so slightly to the side, the better for displaying the unique amalgamation of pleasure and agony that is to be found on a soloing guitarists face. (*this may be bollocks)

I digress. On screen, we were treated (subjected?) to the sight of a dozen men and one young lady (who was apparently the US champion of some state or another) throwing their best 'shapes', pulling their best 'faces' and generally cavorting around the stage (and it was a big stage, with a huge crowd that had gathered just for THIS EVENT! And yes, it was in Japan, where they have a penchant for such entertainment......) to the sounds of The hives "Idiot Walk", which I couldn't help thinking had been specially chosen with tongue firmly in cheek.

This, we discovered, was the elimination round, from which a half dozen of the best (worst?) performers were chosen to compete in their individual rounds, to the music of their choice. The lucky finalists included said female US champion, a young man dressed almost entirely in cling film with a rubber glove stretched over the top of his head and a bucket gaffa-taped to his ass (called somewhat inevitably ‘BucketButt’), Angus Young's long lost doppelganger, and disturbingly, a Japanese man dressed in a suit, his tie around his head, who looked as though he had been in the middle of an important meeting to discuss his company's future when the madness had seized his soul and he ran, frothing at the mouth, fingers-a-twitching to the championships to strut his rockin' stuff.

The enthusiasm and, dare I say it, professionalism with which these finalists approached their respective showcases was nothing short of inspiring, with one of them (dressed seemingly by Justin Hakwin's mum, and known as "The Tarkness") even playing some most impressive air-tapping before whirling his imaginary guitar around his head and smashing it into, well, no pieces at all on the stage, a huge shit-eating grin on his face.

Most of the competitors appeared to be either European (and largely from the likes of Belgium, Sweden and other countries where there obviously isn't much in the way of entertainment) or Japanese (where they're all just plain insane in the membrane anyway!), but our fair isles were represented by a skinny Irishman known as Smell Gibson, who had taken his mum along for the trip (and he wasn't the only one, which seemed to suggest that while being a real guitarist in a real band might well pull in the chicks, playing with, errr, yourself obviously didn't). He gave his all for his allotted time, before coming offstage exhausted, but happy. In the end he came towards the bottom of the rankings, but at least he enjoyed himself.

As the hour dragged on, it came down to a battle between the two finalists - Miss USA, and The Tarkness. Plectrums were raised, axes strapped on, and the showdown began. They both played absolute blinders, with the technical proficiency of The Tarkness being matched lick for lick by the sheer abandon of Miss USA. In the end the result was...........a draw! So, as I bit my nails down to the quick on the sofa, it was sudden death - both contenders facing off against each other in a simultaneous duel. Furiously whirling about the stage, it seemed that nothing could separate these two as they matched each other lick for lick, move for move, face for face, until finally, Miss USA pulled a master stroke. As The Tark (as I was now calling him) stood legs astride, face contorted, peeling of a blistering solo, Miss USA slid between his legs to perform a fretboard-shredder whilst lying flat on her back.

Exhausted, the two eagerly awaited the judges decision, and after much deliberation, Miss USA was crowned 2004 air guitarist of the year! I slumped back in my seat, drained, fingers twitching and reflecting on possibly the best hour of television for a long, long time. So, only 11 months to go until next year's championship - I'm staring to practice now because I'm sure I can take the title.......

Album Review: Prince - Musicology

Author: Michael McAvan

When Prince released his Musicology album this year, reviewers were falling over themselves to declare a comeback from the inconsistent Love Symbol 90s, something that Prince himself seems to be encouraging, splicing snippets of hits into the end of the opening title track of the album. Yet Musicology as an album functions as much as an overview of the soul-funk canon as a summary of Prince's career.

The title track sees Prince taking on a live horn-led James Brown type sound, while Illusion, Pimp & Circumstance marries a sparse mid-tempo Funkadelic funk track with characteristicly Prince lyrics and a guitar solo. Life of the Party is little more than a clattery breakbeat and some Wendy & Lisa style backing vocals, until half-way through a guitar lick appears ripped straight from the Ojays For the Love of Money (aka the Apprentice theme song). Rather than the distinctive synthetic sounds of his classic work, Musicology relies on funk breakbeats, reflecting the influence of both James Brown and his numerous hip-hop samplers.

"Dear Mr Man" sees Prince making an attempt at political writing, an effective blues groove that lays out Prince's mind-numbingly stupid solution to politics - don't vote, write a letter instead. Stupid it might be, but the song taps into a disaffection with both sides of politics, aptly summed up in the lyric "same song with a different name." Yet rather than summon indignation you'd think was approriate to the lyrics, the music resounds with futility, a resignation to the impossibility of change. Hardly a practical tool for politics, but fairly reflective of the ennui effecting a fair amount of the population.

Yet the songs are, of course, not a complete departure from Prince's earlier work. "Cinnamon Girl" is another attempt at politics, but the effect is rendered with toothless with a hummable 2 word chorus and breezy mid-tempo MOR rock vibe. If you weren't listening closely you'd think this was just another Prince song about a girl and a colour. "A Million Days", too, has a similar vibe sans political leanings, and a sound that could have been taken from any mover of his 90s albums - particularly the Gold Experience. Both show Prince willing to write more-radio friendly songs than those from his previous album, the truly atrocious Jehovah's Witness concept album The Rainbow Children.

Call My Name is a shimmering slow-jam replete with gospel flourishes that sees Prince revisiting one of his strengths as an artist - sanctifying sex. Ditto for "On the Couch". And just as importantly, these songs see Prince re-earthing rnb and gospel elements that have been excised from the black music canon in the hip-hop/new jack fuelled search for groove. "What Do You Want Me Do" is the most obvious attempt at reconnecting Prince with his past, dusting off an 80s drum-machine, but playing it against a jazzy lushness rarely found during Prince's hit-making years.

And that, I suppose, is the key difference in this album. Classic Prince funk is angular; minimal synth lines and economical drum programming, with guitar solos the chief adornment. Which is definitely an over-simplification of an artist with a back-catalogue as extensive as Prince, but you get the point. By and large, Musicology is an accomplished affair, but lean it isn't. Rather than a reflection on his own artistic history, Musicology sees Prince appointing himself guardian of the funk-soul tradition, in a album that finally is more hit than miss.

Live Review: Scissor Sisters at London Royal Albert Hall - 17th October 2004

Author: Richard Cosgrove

Arty, decadent, full of pomp and circumstance and just the right side of gaudy. That's the Royal Albert Hall for you, but the description could just have easily been applied to the Scissor Sisters as well. Since sashaying onto the scene barely a year ago, the Scissor Sisters have somehow managed to be sleazy, filthy and gorgeous, yet appeal to an incredibly wide audience, as witnessed in the bar last night. Young and old, well dressed and decidedly underdressed, gay, straight and all points in between shared champagne and cider (though sadly not cigars) in the magnificent surroundings that somehow seemed just perfect for the flounce and bounce of the Scissor spectacle.

Before we got to the main act, however, they'd brought along some friends. First up was Kiki and Herb, featuring a mad keyboardist who looked like he'd just finished a season on the Mary Celeste and a delightfully acerbic torch singer who could have easily passed as Lily Savage's more attractive older sister. Kiki and Herb bashed, crashed and wailed their way through several pop classics and left the audience with broad grins on their faces.

Next up were Le Tigre, three girls from New York City with an infectious punky electroclash sound, a psychedelic video backdrop and enough energy and attitude to power a small town. I was hugely impressed by this band, from the actual songs themselves to the way they took command of the audience and demanded that you listen to them. Inspiring stuff, more of which you can read about in Dollyrocker's review of them at the Islington Academy.

And so to the main attraction, and I use the word deliberately. This was no mere gig happening here, this was yer actual event, a performance, a three-ring circus and I was fortunate enough to have standing tickets so this all happened literally feet away from me. The lights went down and there they were, backlit and silhouted behind a silk curtain, a la Depeche Mode on their Devotional tour, as the intro to Electrobix gave way to the carnival swagger of Laura, placing the audience firmly where they wanted them for the next 90 minutes - in the palm of their sweaty hands. Better Luck followed hot on Laura's heels, and the band not impress with their appearance and showmanship, but also with their musical versatility, as Del Marquis and Babydaddy switch instruments without breaking their stride.

Up close and personal, the band are every bit as large as life as the promo shots and videos suggest, and must surely rival Franz Ferdinand for the title of Best Dressed Band. Babydaddy, Del Marquis and Paddy Boom looked like they'd just stepped out of a Scorcese period piece, as did Ana Matronic in her gorgeous Charleston dress, while Jake Shears's gold lame trousers and waistcoat give him the appearance of C3PO at the Astoria's G.A.Y. night. Jake Shears and Ana Matronic are the consummate hosts of tonight's festivities, working the audience (not that it needs much working) like veterans of the stage rather than the new freaks on the block, and looking like they're having the time of their lives, which just in case we hadn't noticed, they keep reminding us that they are, Shears in particular coming across like all of his birthdays and Christmases have come at once tonight.

The whole of the debut album gets an airing, as well as a three new songs, all of which suggest that the Scissor Sisters are no flash in the pan, and that this won't be their only appearance at the Royal Albert Hall. We even get their lounge version of Franz Ferdinand's Take Me Out which in the hands of just about any other band would be a disaster, but they have the charm and cheek to pull it off. Mary is dedicated to Mary herself, who apparently is in the house, as is Richard O'Brien, without whom Shears informs us there probably wouldn't be a Scissor Sisters, and he's probably right. This point is confirmed when during the last song, the raucous Music Is The Victim, the band are joined on stage not only by Kiki and the Le Tigre grrrls, but also a dancing mummy, two giant silver scissors, a dreadlocked bacofoil monstrosity on stilts, and an eight foot yeti (though sadly not Riff Raff or Dr Frank N Furter). Iron Maiden, eat your heart out!

As far as gigs go, this was one of those rare gigs where despite the fact that the audience clapped, sang and danced itself dizzy, the band actually seemed to have even more fun than the crowd. Definitely one of those "I was there" gigs.