I was going to this gig anyway, so was asked to do some work instead of just enjoying myself. I believed the published version was edited down a bit, but this is the full length blah.
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Square Indie http://www.squareindie.co.uk in March 2008
(c) Square Indie
The Pigeon Detectives / Black Kids / The Rascals / Grammatics
@ Astoria, London 7th Feb
When you’re sandwiched against the barrier and the call of ‘Let’s go fucking mental!’ goes up behind you, either it’s going to be a good night or an unscheduled trip to A&E is just around the corner.
The NME/Shockwaves gig at London’s Astoria, headlined by the Pigeon Detectives, was the first of the Awards shows to sell out and the band’s first gig since mid-December.
First support came courtesy of Grammatics, whose jerky indie pop is given a strong backbone through the imposing cello. Opening with previous single ‘Shadow Committee’, they also played ‘Broken Wing’ (introduced as their version of a power ballad). Owen Brinley’s high voice seems to float above the rest of the band and they were an interestingly quirky start for the people who had bothered to turn up early.
Next up were The Rascals, whose echoing and pounding lad rock has real potential to get a crowd hurling beer cans all over the place. It’s too early for that tonight however. Their deafening tunes contain psychedelic echoes and swirls similar to labelmates the Dead 60s. They have cracking songs although some have a feeling of ‘did I hear this one already?’ At the moment it’s impossible to mention The Rascals without also namedropping their similar-sounding mates, the Arctic Monkeys. But if you hadn’t considered them in the same breath before, the sight of Alex Turner stepping onto the stage, guitar in hand to join in music and vocal duties on ‘Is It Too Late?’ will change that. The Astoria erupted, but it won’t be the music The Rascals are remembered for tonight.
Black Kids were the scenesters’ band of the night (bright clothes – check. Korgs – check. Topshop/Vice Tour – check). They’ve travelled over from Florida for a handful of key shows to whip up UK interest before embarking on Sons & Daughters and Kate Nash support slots. They were on a mission to get everyone dancing with their optimistic, poppy tracks whose melodies pleasingly reminded me of Operator Please. Sadly the girls’ voices were almost inaudible above the music so that extra dimension was lost, but it was still entertaining.
Last year was an immense one for the Pigeon Detectives and saw them described by hosts NME as ‘band of the summer’ and ‘undisputed dons of the festival circuit’ (and ‘sexist’, but presumably they forgot to mention that when booking for tonight). Joking that The Rascals might have had Alex Turner but they had Bono hidden backstage, they played songs including ‘I Found Out’, ‘Romantic Type’, ‘Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye’ and ‘Stop Or Go’. Singer Matt Bowman pointed out this was their first gig for a few months and promptly forgot the lyrics to ‘Take Her Back’.
After spending some weeks recording their new album, the Pigeon Detectives tried out a handful of new tracks - ‘I’m A Liar’, ‘Say It Like You Mean It’ and ‘I’m Not Gonna Take This’, angrily-named songs full of a darker energy and the band’s trademark singalong choruses.
The band were high-spirited throughout, with Bowman laughing as he untangled the mic lead from guitarist Oli Main and occasionally throwing water at drummer Jimmi Naylor. The audience was equally up for it, with plenty of sweaty crowdsurfing. I got clipped on the head with a stray beer can. It hurt.
The show closed with ‘I’m Not Sorry’, though I missed half of that one because Bowman and a couple of randoms were crowdsurfing on my head. The crowd was bouncing along, I didn’t go to A&E, and it was a good night. May we see more of all four bands this year.
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