Having bought a ticket for the King Tut’s show and finding it moved to the Classic Grand, Betty turns up around 8.30 to find that “the band’s on already, mate” and “curfew is 10pm” – not exactly a club show then. Victims of their own success, and clearly quite chuffed with it and all, Pip tells the audience (twice) that these were the first 2 shows on the tour to sell out, i.e. KTWWH sold out, then moved to the Grand, and it sold out as well.
Getting up the stairs, they are in the middle of the first track.
Performing as a two-piece with Pip (vocals) and Sac (everything else, laptop plus some live drums and effects) they storm through selections from both albums plus some comedic interludes. Very confident on the “mike”, Pip explains their current position: roadtesting new tracks but not too many, and re-tooling (album one was “a bit rushed”) oldies.
And very well they do it too, some superfast lyrics, some ear-watering sounds and a popular touch as well, coming on a bit like The Streets’ slightly more intellectual progeny.
The crowd is well up for it, singing back a couple of songs (“trick I learned from a Coldplay documentary” says Pip) and one water-incident providing a running gag throughout most of the set.
The Classic Grand brought back some old memories for Betty (“this was a porn cinema, a big one, back when porn was big – a result” says Pip) and she was gratified to find it still has some sticky carpets (ask your grandpa, or possibly don’t)
Complaints from some “critics” that the new album is “weedy” don’t really hold water with this reviewer – not heard it, but most tracks are pretty muscular and although the “I’m standing for president” schtick of ‘Rise Up’ or whatever it’s called, doesn’t quite fire on all cylinders, they can’t be accused of not being ambitious and telling it like it is. The “two suicide songs” are lyrically quite hard going but appreciated by the audience, and the list-reading of ‘Though Shalt Always Kill’ is still (for Betty anyway) a killer track, rejoinder to ‘Losing My Edge’ by LCD and tonight they shoehorn The Proclaimers into the list – respect due.
Clearly delighted by the audience response, they have to play it safe, look at their watches, and respect the curfew. The last, Radiohead-sampling track from the first album (can’t remember title, look it up you lazy feckers) is blasted through then pummeled into an instrumental (full electro wig-out, think Super Furries’ last number stylee) by Le Sac, then off they go, into the night, presumably returning to a bigger and better thought-out gig situation next time, hopefully a tent at TITP, the Garage or even the Barras.
On this performance, they deserve it.