Sigur Ros @ Alexandra Palace

As the masses of people swarm through the entrance of the huge Ally Pally, the thing that stands out the most is the full on atmosphere of child-like excitement. As faces of all ages chat happily to their mates and the time draws closer to the main event of the night, it all feels like the sort of buzz of a fairground from another age.

Almost on the dot of nine, the lights dim and four silhouettes appear to a reaction bursting with genuine anticipation and excitement. The four Icelandic figures, collectively known as Sigur Ros of course, take their positions on stage as a single keyboard note is struck and gradually the epic, sweeping of “Svefn-g-englar” unfolds. With the crashing, haunting guitar saddling up to the simple piano, the gorgeous vocals echoing around the hall and the gentle drums holding it all together, this is the most perfect and effecting opener imaginable. We’re only minutes into the performance and the crowd is already visibly transfixed.  

Singer and frontman, Jon Por Birgisson, is a constant source of amazement throughout the gig- whether he’s holding a perfect vocal note for longer than anyone else in the room can hold their breath during “Festival” or is bent, stooping over attacking his guitar furiously with his bow- he is always immensely impressive and breath taking to just look at. The other members of the band are almost on a par with their leader, taking creativity and innovation to a level beyond recognition. As they produce tricks such as playing bass with a drumstick and playfully contorting their songs with subtle but effective differences, they all shine individually whilst gelling together perfectly.

Something that really stands out tonight is the use of stage effects and how they really intensify the music. As songs like “Festival” and set closer “Untitled 8” smash furiously with glorious effect into the climax, a storm of confetti shoots out, surrounding the band and drifting into the crowd. At another point, during another carefully constructed musical peak, a wall of rain pours down just in front of the band creating the sense that these almost other worldly figures are serenading us from behind a waterfall. This could all seem a little Spinal Tap had anyone else used this, but with Sigur Ros it only makes the music seem all that bit more fantastic and epic.

The projections on the back of the stage behind the band are used to a similarly transfixing effect. Abstract images of things such as slow motion fiery silhouettes bouncing up and down, stars burning on and off or blurry footage of the band using piano pedals and cymbals only mesmerise the audience more.   

Considering the fact that the music of Sigur Ros is often quite abstract, or at least epic and gradual with virtually no lyrics in English, it’s a testament to their incredible talent that the crowd remain unwavering and transfixed for the entire set. Even the more accessible moments, most from their latest album, rarely come close to being sing along fodder.    

Writing about tonight’s gig is like trying to teach someone a new language but only being able to use punctuation. Unless you were there, or unless you’ve seen Sigur Ros before, it seems impossible to do justice to this performance. But because of the songs, the stage effects, the lighting, the performance of the band and many, many more reasons, this was by far the best gig in memory.

Hoppipolla

Gobbledigook

http://www.myspace.com/sigurros

Dananananaykroyd, Tubelord and Favours For Sailors/The Lexington/12.11.08

Gigs where even the local support band are something to get excited about are few and far between but on this non-descript Wednesday night The Lexington is hosting one and London based four piece Favours For Sailors are most certainly that band. Their catchy, low-fi melodic pop which sits somewhere between The Cribs and The Beach Boys is currently making definite waves at the moment. Their stage manner is by no means confident but it’s their almost clumsy enthusiasm that’s most likely charming them into ever increasing amounts of hearts across the city. 

Next up is a band that are firmly becoming an INFTC favourite, Kingston based trio, Tubelord who deliver their rather unique brand of poppy, punky, melodic rock with sheer energetic fury. As they stride and tumble about the stage blasting out high pitched ‘woah ohs’ in between verses the band evoke thoughts of what a band of 15 year old Blink 182 lovers could have become if they’d kept at it and opened their eyes and ears to every bit of music they could get their hands on. That is to say that all three are most certainly worthy of the instruments they play, Dave in particular is impressively talented at combining frantic drumming and vocals, and while their music is essentially pop-rock with just three instruments the band managed to create a depth of sound which makes it so much more. The sound tonight at The Lexington is also set up to display this perfectly and songs like, ‘I am Azerrad’ and ‘Propeller’ , forcefully bound through the venue and draw the audience towards the stage. Tubelord are quickly becoming a band who are impossible to ignore and, as Johnny Foreigner have said before us, they are the future. 

Due the sterling work of their support bands the crowd awaiting Dananananaykroyd tonight are most definitely ripe for the picking and front man Callum grabs them all into the palm of his hand in one fale swoop and commemorates this with a triumphant “We did it” at the end of most of the songs in and amongst other bizarre and hilarious banter. In usual Dana style many band members can be found in the crowd while they deliver what sounds like a chaotic mix of The Maccabees’ poppy sound and Johnny Foreigner’s brand of messy garage with a mix of screaming, shouting and singing on top.

Mid set the band bring back what is quickly becoming a notorious part of their live show, the wall of cuddles, which is every bit as twee and fun as its name suggests. As well as that firm classic the ‘tunnel of love’ is introduced and again sets the crowd into a grinning mess and ends with Callum rolling around the floor while still managing to bellow into his microphone. While all this is going on it’s difficult to notice what song they’re even playing never mind how well they’re playing it but it has to be said that tonight the band are precision sharp and, as always, the tunes are amazing. Due to stubborn and relentless demand we are treated to even more than usual as tracks such as ‘1993′ are whipped out for a rare encore. 

Dananananaykroyd are possibly the best live band in the country at the moment and their recorded work acts as either an enticing preview to the live show or as a blissfully chaotic reminder so buy their e.p., get yourself a ticket to see them and then wear the fucking t-shirt with pride!

Favours For Sailors-Myspace

Tubelord-Myspace

Dananananaykroyd-Myspace

Dananananaykroyd-Some Dresses

Dananananakroyd-Hey Giles

Dananananaykroyd/Pulled Apart by Horses/Calf by Calf @ The Harley, Sheffield

With Youthmovies playing at Sheffield University, Death Cab for Cutie at the Academy and Fucked Up and White Denim also playing in Sheffield, there was an abundance of live music on around the city tonight. However, it was a small pub, The Harley, that would boast one of the finest line-ups of the night.

With one on the drums and the other on bass, local duo Calf by Calf start the proceedings. They begin their set with a version of The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me”, stopping suddenly to shout the chorus before taking up where they left off. Then seamlessly flying through their set, Calf by Calf manage to create a wall of sound that bands with 6 or 7 members struggle to achieve. With outstanding technical ability and flawless timing, Calf by Calf caused people who weren’t even fans of their music to pay attention.

From the moment the first chord is played, Leeds band Pulled Apart by Horses appear to be a volatile, fast-paced, guitar thrashing four-some. Mix into this elaborate solos, catchy hooks and a live set so energetic that three quarters of them remove their shirts, with guitarist James also doing away with his trousers, and you have a band that are producing some of the most exciting music around at the moment. Finishing triumphantly with single “Meat Balloon”, Pulled Apart by Horses whip the crowd up into a frenzy as crazy as themselves, before marching through the crowd semi-naked.

Dananananaykroyd having been storming around the UK on their first headlining tour and, if hearsay is anything to go by, they have become one of best live bands around. Tonight they play to an already sweaty, sold out crowd who are waiting to see if all the hype is true.

As they burst into their first song, lead singer Calum is already running through the crowd. Their energy never wavering, Dananananaykroyd set about burning the next hour into the minds of everyone present. As they explode through their set, the baying crowd laps up every song they play. With both vocalists, Calum Gunn and John Baillie Jnr (also a member of INFTC favourite Dolby Anol), running in and out of the crowd continuously, it’s rare that all six members are seen together on stage.

When ‘Chrome Rainbow’ kicks in, Dananana already have the crowd clapping along and it becomes apparent that they aren’t as hardcore as they seem on record. As the band chant the intro to ‘Pink Sabbath’ they take this further; forming a path through the middle of the crowd, they start a ‘wall of cuddles’, where, like in a ‘wall of death’, both sides run at each other, but instead of kicking the shit out of each other everyone is instructed to hug the first person they get to. This attitude is taken through the whole show with the band wanting everyone to “just be friends”.

This however didn’t seem to rub off on everyone. Well, one person anyway. After continuing to dance on bassist Laura’s peddles, after being asked to stop, this dick then tries to start a fight with one of the DJs and in the process nearly ruins the gig for everyone. With Dananananaykroyd returning to the stage for an encore, everyone is told to “calm down” and move back from the stage. This doesn’t hamper their performance, but leaves everyone slightly more sullen then they should be.

Despite all this, I am in no doubt that this is one of the gigs of the year and I am looking forward to seeing all three bands again.

What makes Dananananaykroyd stand out is that they don’t just perform their music for us to stand back and appreciate from a distance. They perform it in your face, they get you to shout, they get you to scream and they get you to dance along with them. They make their music your music and it creates one of the best, if not the best, gig experiences ever. Shit, even thinking about it is making smirk like a little boy.

Pulled Apart by Horses have got various gigs in various places coming up in December and Dananananaykroyd have just finished a Headlining tour but you can catch them at Bonefest in Leeds on 6th December.

Calf by Calf (myspace):

Let’s Fuck and Listen to CBC

Pulled Apart by Horses (myspace)(website):

I Punched a Lion in The Throat

Super Hang-On

Dananananaykroyd (myspace)(blog):

Chrome Rainbow

TV on The Radio @ Shepherds Bush Empire 19/11/2008

TV on The Radio’s most recent long player, “Dear Science”, seems to have disappointed a number of fans equally as much as it has been, or will be, featured in end of year best of lists, yet, judging by the hysteria of an excited buzz mixed with furiously busy touts, tonight the stage is really set for them to prove their worth.

Entering the grandiose setting of the Empire, TVOTR are instantly captivating and charismatic. The two guitarists, Dave Sitek and Kyp Malone, sit nonchalantly sprawled on the stage floor, almost as if jamming in their bedroom. Frontman, Tunde Adebimpe, meanwhile, is a bundle of energy from the off. Dressed in a tight fitting shirt and wearing a pair of think rimmed glasses, he is a striking image of cool as he shuffles excitedly around the stage and rips into his vocal parts enthusiastically.

What’s instantly apparent is that this band are, despite- or maybe because of- their obvious creativity, ridiculously tight. With the majority of the songs that they play from “Dear Science”, the band replace string and brass instruments with guitar and keyboard parts. Surprisingly, this works to great effect- creating a pleasing alternative to the recorded versions, sounding raw and off the cuff. Singer/guitarist Malone, often spits out his rap like vocals whilst his hands spider around the guitar neck, giving him the appearance of a slightly deranged, furiously intelligent musical wizard.

Watching TV on The Radio tonight, separating them from their surroundings and the audience, their performance is wild yet controlled- filled with buckets of passion yet seemingly carefully calculated. It is exciting to watch. Once you take the crowd into the equation, though, it suddenly becomes a little less thrilling. At best, the majority of the audience look lifeless and bored. It is almost like looking at two totally separate gigs, the forceful, powerful performance of the Brooklyn band does not match up with the stiff, seemingly uninterested crowd. To their credit, TVOTR refuse to become despondent or withdrawn and, in actual fact, throw themselves in to the gig with even more ferociousness.   

More recent songs, such as “Golden Age” and “Dancing Choose”, persist with an almost aggressive groove while songs from “Return To Cookie Mountain”, i.e “Wolf Like Me”, quake the venue with an earnest and urgent velocity. It is this mix that really displays this band as a cut above the majority- imaginative and experimental  to the end.

The set tonight spans all three albums from the band, delicately tightroping between rock and fuck, carefully avoiding clichés and always remaining interesting. TV on The Radio might just be the modern thinking person’s rock band of choice and, despite the fact that half the audience were clearly recommended to come and see this hip band by the Guardian, they pull off an exciting, captivating and imaginative set of songs with no regards of audience reaction.

Crying

http://www.myspace.com/tvotr

Bloc Party-Intimacy

2005 was the year that saw many of today’s stadium dwelling indie bands start their rise to the epic fame and fortune they enjoy today. Among the more obvious future heavy hitters such as Kaiser Chiefs, The Killers and Arctics Monkeys were four geekily dressed and impressively skilled musicians fronted a talented performer and lyricist. Bloc Party were a less obvious band to explode into the mainstream because their debut ‘Silent Alarm’ was a subtle, intelligent album not just there for you average indie dancefloor. However, something in the undeniably catchy melodies and emotive lyrics caught on on a huge scale. Since that near perfect release we have seen the mediocre ‘A Weekend In The City’ which, although it had its moments, neither lyrically or musically lived up to it’s predecessor, and now we have ‘Intimacy’. 

Like Kings Of Leon with their last two albums, Bloc Party have written a record to fill the venues they’ve been accustomed to playing and to flow happily in the ears that have some accustomed to hearing them on radio one, making it quite the opposite of what it’s title suggests. Sure, songs like ‘The Modern Love’ were perfectly atmospheric being played to 1000 people in a small, sweaty venue but arenas perhaps need something more and Bloc Party have brought electronica to the table. Sadly this means Tong’s expert drumming, along with the guitar’s and bass, is lost in a sea of messy bleeps, synths and frankly tacky vocal effects. First single ‘Mercury’ sounds like a second rate remix at best and is filled with embarrassingly non-sensical lyrics. 

However, while the band haven’t managed to achieve what they’ve previously shown themselves to be capable of, not every song on the album is as disappointing as it’s first single may suggest. Current release, ‘Talons’, is a brilliantly aggressive track not too littered by electronics and manages to actually display some fierce guitar and should expect to receive a warm welcome at any indie disco. Amongst others ‘Halo’ continues the aggressive, fast-paced sound and, although the lyrics show no signs of returning to a former glory, is certainly a stand out track from ‘Intimacy’ due catchy guitar and an explosive instrumental break in the middle. And when the record it isn’t forcefully thrusting itself down your throat it’s slowing down to a rather pretty pace. Tracks like ‘Biko’ and ‘Signs’ tell stories of both love and heartache atop some softly babbling melodies and while these tracks are perhaps some of the most listenable of the album they do struggle to fit in amongst the barrage of other tracks screaming out for your attention. 

So, while ‘Intimacy’ isn’t, and was never going to be, the album we wanted from Bloc Party it is definitely not the car crash ‘Mercury’ suggested it could of been. There are definitely hints at the band’s former brilliance but ultimately it is just one of those albums that you could quite easily take or leave. 

Bloc Party Myspace

Bloc Party-Talons

Bloc Party-Signs

 

Fucked Up/Rolo Tomassi @ Camden Barfly 6/11/2008

Anyone smart enough to brave it to Camden tonight not to see a Pete Doherty solo set is in for a treat with this XFM showcase at the perfectly scummy Barfly. Although advertised as a “secret headliner”, it seems everyone is pretty confident that it’s Canadian hardcore punk outfit Fucked Up that will be taking to the stage by the end of the night.

First comes first, though, and tonight that means Sheffield based five piece Rolo Tomassi. With the media coverage refusing to either relent or turn sour upon this band (singer Eva Spence very recently being inducted to the outer regions of the NME cool list), the band take to the stage with confidence and pride in what they do. With their mad, complex and ultimately thrilling sound, Rolo Tomassi are quite a head fuckingly joy to watch live. Attention flits between Joe Niholson’s frankly outrageously good skills on guitar to Eva’s misleadingly innocent look of sweetness (of course shattered when she stretches her vocal chords and shatters your skull), but the main impact of watching this band live is the way they entwine and bounce off one another in a series of exhilarating noises. After running through their set, siblings James and Eva exchanging a quick glance as a midget fails spectacularly at stage diving and a polite thank you at the end, Rolo Tomassi leave the night for Fucked Up.

Finally, Toronto hardcore band, Fucked Up, clamber onstage looking every inch the anti-hero punks. Also boasting an inclusion in the list of cool people, the band ooze a confidence that suggests they know exactly how they are received and also that they needn’t pander to anyone.

Singer Pink Eyes quickly becomes up to his nuts in flailing bodies and literally forces the gig to take the course he wishes. Ripping his top off to reveal that huge, rotund beast he jumps into the crowd and rarely makes it back onto the stage for the rest of the gig.

The drums are tight and unflashy, the power chords keep on punching us in the stomach like a bulldozer and the band collectively shout rabble rousing slogans together over the top. Whatever your poison, it’s hard not to be caught up in the storm. Fucked Up are a thrilling prospect- more good, old fashioned American punk rock than anything else- the band get their heads down and rock for the most part whilst letting Pink Eyes get on with stealing the show.

The figure of the deranged, screaming fat man with danger in his eyes and blood on his head is instantly extinguished between songs when he becomes the friendly, amiable frontman. “In case you were wondering”, he quips, smiling “this isn’t the Pete Doherty show”. Fans and innocent bystanders alike can’t seem to get enough of him. A little later, the midget returns to steal the microphone and sincerely thank the band, a sentiment which is met with much encouragement and whole hearted agreement. Whether you’re a fully blown punk or anything but, it really is hard not to enjoy Fuck Up live and the chaotic friendliness that they bring.

http://www.myspace.com/rolotomassi

http://www.myspace.com/epicsinminutes

Days of Last

Vampire Weekend/Wild Beasts/El Guincho @ The Kentish Town Forum, London 25 October

The rise and rise of Vampire Weekend has been a thing of wonder: last year they were swimming about in the peripheries of the music press and then, suddenly, BAM!- it’s customary for radio DJs to play at least one of their songs each hour and they’re on every British  festival this summer inciting chirpy sing alongs all the way from a rainy Pyramid Stage performance to a triumphant, sweaty Leeds festival set.  Whereas some bands (a certain multi-racial five piece from Florida spring to mind) received a hell of a roar in the hype department of the NME office  but eventually only delivered a whimper, Vampire Weekend have consistently come up with the goods. After the festival season undoubtedly won them numerous fans, tonight the question is whether Vampire Weekend can cope in the spotlight in their own right headlining three sold out nights in a row at the Forum.

First on though is El Guincho who, despite the early hour of his slot, transports this lavish venue to the streets of Barcelona for a fully formed sound of celebration and carnival. As he wails out his joyful Spanish over the colourful keys, a smile is brought to the face of all those lucky enough to catch the set. El Guincho’s tropical rhythms and simplistic, sun kissed beats are the perfect supplement to Vampire Weekend and get everyone in just the right mood.   

Next on are the Leeds based quartet Wild Beasts who’s recent debut album Limbo Panto received a fair amount of positive press. Unfortunately, they do not live up to previous expectations. The sound quality sounds, in all honesty, completely guff, which means all we can hear is a dull thud where the guitar/piano should be and a shrill yell of what, on record, is Hayden Thorpe’s interesting falsetto.  Disappointing at best.

Finally the time has come for the headliners to take the stage. New Yorkers, Vampire Weekend stroll on in their usual attire suggesting wealth and sophistication and receive an almighty response from the crowd. Without dilly dallying around, they rip straight into “Mansard Roof” which, needless to say, gets everyone in the mood instantly.

One early highlight is the fantastic “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” which, during the chorus, the lights go up to reveal the sea of heads smiling and shouting the words back at the band. Similarly, a great occasion of call and response takes place during “One” with the band, and then the audience, happily shouting the lyric “Blake’s got a new face!”- a simple yet effective game learnt and honed in during Vampire Weekend’s many festival appearances this year.

Their Soweto, worldly and African influences may be a constant talking point, but it really displays their talent as a band with real unique qualities. Half way through the set, a string quartet come on to play a handful of songs with the band and, even though this sort of pompous behaviour can often make you want to stab yourself in the eye, it actually work magnificently here. Nothing compliments songs like “M79” like the short blasts of classical instruments.  

Throughout the set, singer Ezra Koenig is everything we’ve come to love and expect of him. Charming, faux shy and yet charismatic; In many ways, he carries the band single handedly- whether he’s doing his jerky, awkward dancing or flitting between singing softly and belting out his lyrics in an unusually forceful manner,  he is almost always the main point of attention on stage.

After the encore, the band come on and end with a storming rendition of “Walcott” which, strangely, is the perfect song to end with. Like their set as a whole, it is triumphant and glorious and is met with a big room full of silly grins. Despite the fact that they only have one fairly short album to their name- the set is neither overstretched with filler or far too short for a headline slot but is just the perfect length to make the most perfect pop gig. No matter what your opinion on Vampire Weekend, you really must agree (however begrudgingly) that they are completely, utterly charming and have proven their worth tonight as one of the biggest bands to emerge this year.  

Cape Cod Kwassi Kwassi

Oxford Comma (Daytrotter Session)

http://www.myspace.com/vampireweekend

El Guincho- Plamitos Park

http://www.myspace.com/elguincho

Wild Beasts- Devils Crayon

http://www.myspace.com/wildbeasts

Shred Your Face at Camden Electric Ballroom, London 20 October

It’s a rainy Monday night and the self styled “Shred Your Face” tour rolls into Camden town for what is surely the biggest gig of the jaunt.

First on to an already pretty packed venue is Times New Viking who impress those who made the effort to come early. The band seem to take a particular perverse joy in creating glorious pop songs almost of the Belle and Sebastian variety and then smothering them with walls of feedback, splashy cymbals and fuzzed out vocals so that the listener has to almost decipher those gorgeous melodies.

This size of venue is clearly not the ideal place to see Times New Viking, who should be seen up close and personal in some flea infested sweat pit, but they pull off a pretty raucous and rousing set anyway.  

After a short wait, two unassuming Americans shuffle onstage and begin their set. No Age, it could be said, are a major draw for many tonight but, unfortunately, they fail to live up to expectations. Their lacklustre performance and almost sloppy sound would probably be great in a smaller venue but, again, they are just not the right band to be playing to such a big crowd. “Eraser” provides a slight slither of respite but the general feeling as they live the stage seems to be of quiet disappointment more than anything else.

Eventually it’s time for the headline band of this Shred Your Face malarkey, Los Campesinos!, to take the stage. As the band themselves testify, this is the biggest indoors gig they’ve ever played but they actually benefit from the large stage space and manage to step up their performance to the bigger crowd.

The band begin with latest album opener “Make It Through The Wall” which instantly gets the crowd bouncing with it’s choppy rhythms which eventually give way to a glorious chorus. After this, the set is divided almost equally between the bands two albums, although songs from their debut “Hold on Now, Youngster” undoubtedly get the bigger, more wildly enthusiastic response. Songs such as “Don’t Tell Me To Do The Math(s)”, “You! Me! Dancing!” and “Death to Los Campesinos!” already sound like classics and are matched word for word by the sweating, joyous crowd.

 “This is How You Spell..” is, perhaps, one of the highlights of the set. With it’s slow build up of eerie keys and rumbling bass which eventually mingle with the heart soaring violin, it provides the perfect canvas for singer Gareth’s emotional and enthusiastic performance. The band, as usual, end with “Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks” which is as captivating and brilliant as ever- Gareth making his way into the dancing crowd before finishing on top of a speaker to give the final delivery.

With that, the Shred Your Face gig is over. Three very different bands, ranging from the minimalist to the perfected pop, yet there was unfortunately something lacking slightly in the whole affair. Maybe it was the venue or maybe it was hyped up too much, but Shred Your Face wasn’t quite the triumph it could, and should, have been.

 http://www.myspace.com/loscampesinos

Death to Los Campesinos! (live)

We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed

http://www.myspace.com/nonoage

http://www.myspace.com/timesnewviking

Call and Respond

Dananananaykroyd, Johnny Foreigner/ Madame JoJo’s/ 30.09.08

It’s not often one sees a line up so simply perfect as tonight’s. A band whose recent debut can be expected to flutter around top twenty lists across the internet come this December and another who are going to find it difficult not to take over the world in the next two years if certain sources are to be believed. 

Half of Dananananaykroyd start their set in the crowd to test how deep their microphones will let them venture before everything gets into full swing. They begin with their most recent release Pink Sabbath and with such a stand out track the band are certainly setting the bar high. Once it’s there, however, they do everything in their power to leap frog over it, limbo under it and pretty much destroy it with sound and silliness. They are essentially an intense yet light hearted band. They orchestrate a ‘wall of pain’ but instead use hugs and as the stupidly grinning audience sweatily embrace one another to the sounds of ‘Some Dresses’ you can pretty much see the ever disappearing line between twee and more hardcore sounds being further smudged. On record this concept may not be as obvious but watching the six boys and girl furiously attack their instruments to create something in the realms of catchy, fast paced pop while various members add singing, shouting and screaming so naturally over the top something new and exciting begins to click.  The group also show alliances to other bands pursuing this unexpected yet ever growing sound by dedicating songs to members of the audience sporting Los Campesinos! and Johnny Foreigner merch.

Tonight Dana… confirm their ever growing whispers of them being the most exciting, energetic and enthusiastic live band in the country. It’s only when packing up their equipment when the audience actually sees all six of them actually on the stage at one time as relentless guitar solos and awesomely emtoive vocals are all delivered in the thick of the heaving crowd. Vocalists Callum Gunn and John Baillie Junior are often seen gripping each other euphorically in the crowd whilst belting out perfectly timed bursts of song, one thing that is truly remarkable about this band is that while their shows appear the be complete chaos on the surface their performance is impressively tight. So yes, the rumours are true, Dananananaykroyd are about to change your life. 

Like a delicious desert following an epic meal, Johnny Foreigner’s set perfectly complements that of Dana. They are far more the ‘cool down’ act than the former are the ‘warm up’. This isn’t to insult their performance, which many would struggle to come close to, it’s just that the quick fire chaos of Dana would struggle not to be the main event in whichever line-up they found themselves in. The Birmingham based trio still, however, manage to deliver an hugely charming set discussing which song to play in between each song as the idea of set lists are too boring. That does mean that some album classics are missed out but it also means that every song they choose to play is performed with enthusiasm and an air of spontaneity which is far more refreshing than watching a band tread down an already well beaten path.The audience react to each song’s opening chords with frenzied cheers and this only spurs on the three skinny bodies on stage. The chemistry between the band is excellent tonight and their sweat dripping faces spend the show either screaming at each other or straight into the worshipping mass before them. 

In short, tonight is one of those nights that not only reminds you why you spend all your time and money on music but also makes you thankful because if you hadn’t of given so much you could have lived life oblivious to sheer fucking brilliance of bands such as these.

Dananananaykroyd Myspace

Dananananaykroyd-Pink Sabbath

Johnny Foreigner Myspace

Johnny Foreigner-Hennings Favourite

Johnny Foreigner-Sofacore

Holy Fuck/Kelpe- Kings College London 18 October

The first time INFTC saw Holy Fuck, it was as a barely advertised add-on band in a sweaty, dirty nightclub to a few gurning clubbers who had lost their mates on the way to the bar. Now, a year on, it’s perhaps a little surprising that the band have sold out a headline show at the relatively large Kings College Union. They may not boast the hits or even accessibility of many of their contemporaries, but one thing is clear when seeing them live- they are certainly interesting and experimental enough to hold attention unwaveringly.

First though is minimalist electronic duo, Kelpe. Despite their very basic set up of a drummer and a, er, guy behind a laptop, the two piece create a pretty spectacular sound of trebly waves and harsh glitches which soundtrack their mesmerising backdrop of visuals.

As the venue swells to its sweating, bulging capacity, the time finally comes for the main attraction. Holy Fuck start with a long, spacey build up that grows and grows before igniting into a full on, unashamed rave filled with raw disco synth blasts and an incessant, whirlwind drum beat.  

From this point onwards, Holy Fuck find their rhythm straight away and usher the audience under the spell for the rest of the set. Whether carving out little subtleties, expanding on their recorded versions or seemingly improvising- the band are constantly locked in with one another and seem as musically tight as it is possible to be.

Half way through the set, the band play what seems to be a new song. With a build up that sounds like Kraftwerk tweaking the robotic dial on a Pink Floyd song, the band all suddenly stop with a bang and then break into a brilliant Michael Jackson style funk workout. The powerful groove has the crowd doing the pilled-up Shaun Ryder dance to what is, naturally, great effect.

It’s the songs from latest album “LP” that get the greatest response from the crowd. “Super Inuit”, for example, is accentuated in the live setting to a monstrous bombardment of fast plinky plonky keys, eager drum rolls and the odd bleep punctuating it all. “Frenchy’s”, meanwhile, becomes a stomping tour de force which has the crowd mesmerised.

The two main minds behind Holy Fuck, Graham Walsh and Brian Borcherdt, are- as always- captivating. They face each other behind their tables piled with musical gadgets and play off one another whilst bouncing enthusiastically. Walsh seems in his element creating music live- weather he’s pulling out rolls of film to create a strange scratching sound or singing into a tiny toy microphone so that his voice distorts into an effect laden, echoing yell- he is, as well as the band as a whole, exciting and hypnotising to watch.

As the slot draws to it’s conclusion, the band play what is by far their most popular and accessible song, “Lovely Allen”. With the gorgeous, wind pipe style melody and the bright flashing lights, the room is turned into a blissed out scene of dancing and smiles.

Tonight, Holy Fuck have proven they’re more than worthy headliners of such venues. They are all the things that make them great on record- mesmerising, captivating and unique- only, in a live situation, they are beefed up almost beyond recognition to become something even more exciting.

http://www.myspace.com/holyfuck

Holy Fuck- “Lovely Allen” (Daytrotter Session)

Holy Fuck “Casio Bossa Nova”