It’s so small in here that opening band Cancel the Astronauts don’t really fit comfortably on the stage.
The drumkit is trying to join the crowd by edging forward at every beat and the tiny stage lights are only illuminating the keyboards, not the actual band.
Blondie, was the first thing that came into my head as they played. At least ‘Atomic’ was what I was thinking of as that’s how one of the songs was arranged. Verse, chorus, verse and then a pounding disco beat instrumental reworking of what went before. With little synth breaks coming in a bit like the Ballboy track ‘where do the nights of sleep go…’
And they having a song called ‘Not Country’ because someone thought that it sounded like Country.
Well it didn’t. It sounded nothing like Country and thank God. I hate Country.
It’s Western or nothing!
The best part of seeing Curators play was the ending.
No, not like that.
I really do mean the ending. I’m not being cruel.
Neater than hospital corners, their last three notes brought everything to a perfect close in a way that almost nobody does anymore.
a bit more of a regular flavoured indie rock band than the first, with two guitars, two voices drums and bass they have songs with some nice attention to detail, good humour and wow, what about that ending.
Kasms make one hell of a racket. Playing some sort of messed up post-surf-punk-goth-shriekcore. There’s a big slice of Siouxsie in there, maybe even some Suicide, maybe some industrial influences at work and possibly a dash of the Birthday Party.
The two guys on guitar and drums swap over instruments and the bass player does backing vocals and the singer plays with effects on her microphone.
None of these make the band stand out.
What makes Kasms interesting is down to singer Rachel.
It’s not the way she sings, it’s not the vocal effects, it’s not the striking red hair,
No.
It’s the fact that the red hair and the singing are right in your face.
Literally.
To put it mildly, she’s completely mental.
Jumping around all over the place, writhing around on the floor, weaving into the crowd, messing with folk, kicking me….
Half the crowd looked slightly taken aback by what they were seeing.
Their looks of disbelief made my whole night.