This is a first, me trying to write a review after getting drunk and not bothering to take notes. Who said this website was supposed to be professional anyway? So to start I’m going to steal a quote from another review because frankly, I can’t better it!!
“First up are Cardiff-based band The Muscle Club, sharply presented, and with even sharper songs…and the bassist had a killer moustache, which should probably just be compulsory for bassists everywhere”. The band are very now (think duel vocals, LC! without the loads of members or tonights headliners, Johnny Foreigner) but with nods to the early nineties scene, I kept hearing guitar and bass parts that reminded me of Senseless Things or Ned’s Atomic Dustbin despite the fact that none of the band members are old enough to remember them. They have some great songs and their 7″ comes wrapped in gingham. They have the pop sensibilities, the looks and the facial hair to go a long way. Expect them to be rising up the bill soon.
The next band have taken the mantle of best band I’ve seen this year. Their name is Danananackroyd and they’re fucking ace. I’d bought their Sissy Hits CD when it came out, party because of the bonkers name and partly because on this occasion I chose to believe the hype. It still doesn’t prepare you for the live experience though. The whole band exude the kind of energy, charm and enthusiasm that is clearly reserved for Scottish rock bands (they join We Are The Physics and Le Reno Amps at the top of the live band tree, Glasvegas we’re obviously pissing about with guitar effects when these attributes were dispersed). The singer is joined on vocal duties by part-time drummer on a handful of songs and this two pronged attack reminds me of watching Blood Brothers (the Seattle noise merchants, not the West End Musical) but with tunes. Midway through the set the crowd gets split in two for a group hug ‘because we’re all human’. Both fromtmen are in and out of the crowd on a regular basis, with some bands this would look like it was forced but with these lunatics it just looks like they have too much excitement bundled up to merely use the stage area too perform. The audience loved it too, getting involved rather than looking terrified. I can’t praise them enough and your best bet is to make sure you catch them in November when they come back to Cardiff to play the Swn festival (with Tubelord too – what a great show that’ll be!).
The difficult job of following this was assigned to Johnny Foreigner. I presume they’re used to it by now as Danananackroyd are the tour support. I admit is was quite hard to raise energy levels again after the support but JF (or JoFo and my friend referred to them as) were up to the challenge. Their album ‘Waited Up ’til It Was Light’ is in my top albums of 2008 and is a bouncey, poppy, punky bundle of joy. They’re just the band to cheer to up as the winter nights draw in. Bassist Kelly Southern spent a good ten minutes sorting her hair out before they started and then wrecked all her good work when she flew into the first song with almost Scottish gusto. She got a bit of stick from singer Alexei Berrow later in the gig with him pointing out that she only played with her hair when she fancied somebody! Good natured banter seemed to be a part of the evening along with the brilliant music. I think I can safely say that it is (so far) my gig of the year.
As I said, I didn’t take notes as I just wanted a good night out but I thought that I had to post this review so that anybody reading it will hopefully take the time to check the bands out next time they roll into town.
