New To Q Tour - Relentless Garage, 18/05/2010

I had organised to meet an old friend for a catch up when I won these. We both like our music and it's hard  to turn down a free gig. Having recently subscribed to Q magazine I won tickets to the gig, I had heard of the bands in tonight's line up, made up of Detroit Social Club, Tiffany Page and Goldhawks.

We had a meal down the road before rocking up to the venue just before Goldhawks came on. They were allright, energetic, quite nice rocky songs, they gave as good as they got and did well. I wasn't particularly interested though, I am not sure what they will achieve, it may depend on the public's current flavour. Indie-light of sorts, expect them to follow a few bands as support on a few tours or see them on some of the summer's smaller stages but I can't see them going beyond that.

After a trip to the bar for a beer, the sultry Tiffany Page wonders on, she's all gravelly voiced and short black dress. She strums her guitar and sings and makes many a young man's dreams. She's supported the new look Hole which doesnt surprise me, she's going for a grungy sound but has a look of the pretty little girl about her. Her songs arre good enough, I can see her making a few radio playlists, and producing a hit of two. She seems like a nice girl with a good voice.

Finally Detroit Social Club, a band I've read about but don't know take the stage. A georgie six-piece, they fill the Garage's small stage. Their sound seems to comprise of the more trippy and psychdelic of Kasabian's output, long numbers with lengthy instrumentals. The singer doesnt always seem to know what to do with himself during these moments air-drumming and walking around the stage aimlessly.
My friend and I got bored, both lagging and tired and feeling the midweek beers, we took our leave a couple of songs in. It feels easier to leave a free gig  then one you've paid for. I wasn't hugely taken by the night's band, but I will keep an ear out to see if they are worth further investigation.

Born Ruffians @ Old Blue Last, 11/05/2010

I was supposed to see Born Ruffians a few years ago at the Hoxton Bar Kitchen but had another engagement come up that evening so missed out. When I read they were coming over again I thought, that's for me!

I had a couple of tickets but left it late in finding someone to come along so couldn't sell the extra one. I got there early and as they weren't taking returns I hung out outside waiting for touts and other loiterers. None came, it was conspicuously quiet, particularly, I thought for a small sold out gig.

I was joined out front by Steve, another solo traveller, however it was his birthday and his friend had let him down late on. unlike me he wasn't brassic and looking to recoup the ticket price and a few coins to get through the week. He'd bought his two on ebay for less than half the price of one ticket. I was giving up hope of scalping it when as I bought a pint to take in, someone asked if I had a spare and I got a tenner for it.

Due to my salesman-like activities I missed the support, I don't recall their names but people said they were good. I scooched upstairs and took a spot in front of the stage, the band appear on-stage and tune up themselves. Its nice and small in the OBL, it was my first trip there. Some friends of mine had a club night there a few years ago but I never made it down.

Looking around the club it didn't look sold out, it was pretty spacious, I can imagine that place jam packed and heaving, sweat dripping off the ceiling, full on kick ass night, tonight wasn't as adventurous. It was another one of those gigs when the crowd bop their heads merrily along, you want someone to kick it but they don't. Born Ruffians are an affable band, a nice mix of jaunt rock with a slight twang and in Luke LaLonde have one of the best yodels in the business.

The set is a nice mix of their first album "Red, Yellow and Blue" and tracks from the upcoming "Say It". They open with newbie "Oh Man" and follow it swiftly with old favourite "Barnacle Goose". The band play their  songs well, and there's a real sense of the music being enjoyed by both the band and the audience. Steve who had disappeared out for a cigarette reappears with a pint for me but instead of enjoying the music spends his time trying to chat up some of the girls in the audience, he had been convinced he'd find his future wife. He leaves me to find a girl I presume and I am thankful for his having left me.


The music continues with the set focusing on new songs "What To Say" and "Sole Brother" but here are big cheers for the oldies "Hedonistic Me" and "Hummingbird" in particular. The set ends with the excellent "Foxes Mate For Life". An encore never materialises as the minute they finish the DJ strikes up and the crowd dash out of the door and the band no longer have an audience for an encore. I can't decide which is most idiotic, the DJ for trying to sell us his wares and not checking what the last song would be or the crowd for not thinking there might be an encore.

I clamber onto the stage and steal a set list, "I Need A Life" would have been the encore. I chat to drummer Steven Hamelin who says they had thought of putting it in the main set but they thought they'd get an encore.
I listen to "I Need A Life" several times on the way home in some sort of effort to make up for not having heard it live, people have more patience, good things come to those who wait. DJs easy on the trigger finger, do not "just push play".

Darwin Deez @ The Black Heart 13/04/10

I got tickets for this gig when I started hearing "Radar Detector" on a regular basis on the radio. A catchy tune of pure pop brilliance I wanted more. Darwin Deez played a gig at a library while I was away but was able to get to this album launch.

The Allotment Club is a small club night offering live bands and free cake, its hard to refuse the draw of either. A few support bands filled the early evening as the crowd began to swell.

One by one the band squeezed through the crowd top stand at the front of the room waiting for Darwin. He eventually appeared, re-pleat in his tour sweater.

I had heard that about Darwin's live performance, and he himself is a funny guy, his appearance on Lauren Laverne's show the day before was something special; when told this year's theme for Bestival is fantasy he replied "like Cindy Crawford?".

They played a number of songs of their debut album which is out now, kicking off with "Hot Nights" and "Up In The Clouds". I say they, as Darwin Deez is the frontman, singer, guitarist but he is joined by Michelle on the bass, Cole on the guitar and Greg on drums. The songs sound great live and get you bopping, they play "Constellations" and the nicely vindictive "Bad Day". In between certain songs, like every two or so, he plays a sound clip or a bit of a song anything from Genesis (I think) to Beyonce's Single Ladies and the band huddle at the front and bust out choreographed dance moves, there are loads of examples on youtube, and a few from the night itself.

Having listened to the album itself since the sound is augmented by my knowledge of their live act including the dancing,but this is really someone you should catch live and before they end up in too big a venue so that they cant engage the crowd too. Oh yes the crowd are split for one of the dance routines and tasked with following one of the band members through one particular song. Towards the end they jumped into the crowd and dance around before ending the set with "Radar Detector".

That wasn't it, though it was for me, a very early morning wake up call meant i headed for the door immediately only to later find out they had done an encore. Dammit Janet indeed, though I got the bulk of the goodness in a small venue, check 'em out as soon as you can before the intimacy is all gone.