The Joy Formidable @ The Relentless Garage [Live]

30th September 2009

October 1, 2009, 12:16 AM

Views: 542   Comments: 9

I dunno. You can still smell varnish in the air and it feels a bit like being in an expensively lit Yates' but here we are, 'The Latest Energy Drink' Garage, Highbury & Islington. Support comes tonight from Little Death and Twin Atlantic so on with the show.

Little Death, you will have already heard from the more esoterically inclined wankers you call friends is what some French, equally esoteric wankers, call the orgasm. Some Germans also call it a little death when you split up with your other but I'm blaming that on the French too. None of that has anything to do with the rather nice sound these grungy Ash kids start making at around just not-digested-dinner-enough time. Hell though, they make a good racket. Only problem is I can't figure out if that's Darlene's boyfriend from Roseanne or not slinging around his Gibson guitar. Well, I asked and it wasn't but they did play some impressive, on-the-minute reverberated, don't-look-at-your-shoe-gazey stuff and people liked it. Hot female bassist completes the win.

Which is more than you can say for the next troop of misguided fellows.

This band is called Placebo. In the first song. Then they get into a more familiar groove and start calling themselves Biffy Clyro, then later and for the rest of the set it's Funeral For A Friend - or they would if they had any honesty. Their real names? Twin Atlantic.

Let me tell you about this singer: Cunt.

To walk onto a London stage, where within a stones through we could probably have chosen to see ten chart screwing artists, and tell us that we're boring as shit because we aren't rocking out to a tune we've never heard before from a band we've never heard before? Dude, even if your shit wasn't weak copyist emo-rock with about as much depth as a puddle in the Sahara you'd be looking like a cunt. The best bit was when you called the crowd - your potential fans - fashionistas whilst wearing a low cut v-neck white T and tight trousers. Then the best bit after that was when you gave us all the bird and finally threw down your guitar like a spoilt bitch because you remembered you aren't a rock star and can't afford to break your shit. Shame, because the rest of the band was spot on. Little whiner letting the side down with his hissy fits. Shame.

But on to the main show and The Joy Formidable. It's always strange having less to talk about the positive than the negative but there it is. The Joy Formidable played a great set. Ritzy gave it some real business and it's always nice to see a lady shred. Always.

A really nice touch is the drummer being set up at stage left front so he's more part of the action, especially in a three piece scenario. The crowd has more to look at that way. The ending was a little contrived but the set as a whole was thoroughly convincing. Problem is, bands these days are so well schooled we always know what to expect, even if it is for a live CD.

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