04.08.07
It’s not for the cock, it’s for the goths
The Horrors - Live at Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
Photo taken by Brooke Shipstone
If you’ve never really looked into The Horrors before it’s likely that all you really know about them is that their gothic image is more notorious then their music and they are worshipped by a certain music publication (any guesses?). And after those two attributes why would you ever really want to know more? Answer, because with every band trying to be the next Arctic Monkeys, their selection of synth-laced gothic tunes are likely to be some of the most original you will hear this year. Also, they put on one hell of a live show.
The evening gets off to an uninspiring start with the support, Kreeps. The addition of a flute and double bass could make the bland plod through their back catalogue at least interesting if only it was audible by the, at this point, lifeless audience. It’s only a short while in between sets so the stage is quickly graced by front man Farris Rotter and company. The opener is a painfully slow version of album favorite “Jack the Ripper” which is only played at normal tempo for the final chorus. As pretentious as this may seem in the 500 capacity Rescue Rooms the all-ages crowd are certainly left thirsty for more and Farris delivers as he launches himself into the crowd halfway through the second track.
The band are known for their shorts sets and tonight is no exception. During the set we see more and more stage abandoning antics with half of first single “Count in Fives” being performed on top of the bar. Farris then returns to the front with a bar stool which he leaps on to end the set with latest release “Sheena is a Parasite”. By this point the crowd are desperately surging forward just for a grasp of Horrors’ flesh, proving that we are indeed in the presence of a truly great front man. The entire production is incredibly tight and with Farris at the front The Horrors show themselves to be worthy of a venue ten times as big.
The Horrors are still on their UK/European tour. Their debut album Strange House came out last month. You can buy the album and check out their tour dates on their myspace
Count in Fives (Removed)
Brooke said,
April 16, 2007 at 9:19 pm
I was there and I agree totally.
What was going on with The Kreeps, really? Awesome show though.
And photo, obviously.
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