Rock City is sold out to a mixed crowd. There's nothing like smart lyrics, clever videos and sing a long chorus or two to mobilise the great British youth, and here they are. One of them just puked on my shoes. Rock N' Roll.
Expectations are mixed. Lots of people are here to hear one song and one song only. Can "Gay Bar" alone carry the whole night? Of course some are here for the other song as well and maybe a few actually bought the album, have we wasted our money or will this be Christmas come early?
Wigan band MOCO open up the proceedings with some dirty fat American retro-rock. Their mish-mash of 60's rock and slamming glam guitars is half Easy Rider half Iggy Pop. Four dates into their support on the Electric Six tour their manic energy warms the crowd up a treat and Leeds quintet KID SYMPHONY follow up
with a similar high energy display. However, their fame-academy manicured indie rock makes them appear an odd choice for a Six support slot. Admittedly Kid Symphony can play and they're are tight as a button - they just reek of industry backing. Why else were they booked? They don't rock and they're not funny.
An age (and the aforementioned vomit) later ELECTRIC SIX take the stage, ripping straight into Naked Pictures and some thumping ugly glam rock. The place explodes and the band crank out the next four pop-perfect songs in under 10 minutes. So far so predictable.
It's not until frontman Dick Valentine stops grinning however, and begins a short rendition,a cappella, of US folk lament "Oh Death", that the crowd get a chance to draw a collective breath. It's a deft piece of showmanship which kicks into "Danger! High Voltage!" Valentine counts some money, engages in some teasing crowd participation and guitarist The Colonel climbs onto his monitor for the nth time.
|
A few tracks later the band close the 50 minute set with "Dance Commander" (salutes all round) and leave the stage, but it's
clear 90% of the crowd came for one song and one song only. A clutch of girls buck the trend by shouting 'We want Dick!' but the chant for "GAY BAR" is roof raising.
The 'Six return, hiking up the level of expectation even further with a great rendition of Queen's "Radio Ga-Ga" before submitting finally with their biggest hit. It's a great encore and they can't top it; confused house lighting issues only
compounding a slightly flat second return to the stage. Still, hundreds troop home seemingly satisfied, each with a piece of merchandising inscribed with directions to the nearest gay bar...should they ever need to find it.
|
