(pictured above, Mr Dan Sartain ladies and gentleman)Read the previous post and you'll know I have a hangover. That's what you get for OD'ing on JD and cokes...still you're only young once...and I was once.
Anyway Coldrice, for the uneducated, is a kind of club night that features some of the best bands in the world, bands who most people have never heard of...shame, shame, thrice shame (my god I'm turning into Frankie Howard).
It used to be held in the Bar Academy (little venue in Brum, one of the better places to see live music) but it's now moved to an industrial park in the arse end of Digbeth (place that Birmingham City Council is trying to turn into a kind of Camden - artsy and all that - but is still full of industrial units and rats).
You have to register on the Coldrice website then get an invite before you can go along, we've been to quite a few of the Bar Academy nights but this was the first time we'd gone along to the newly named Coldrice Underground (it's actually on the first floor but I guess Coldrice First Floor didn't sound so good). I'm waffling...it's the drink...anyway it has to be the most bizarre but endearing venue that I've ever been to. Imagine a party in someone's house - two small rooms where the bands play, a narrow corridor where people hang out and a bar that serves JD...all night long...JD...I think I may be sick...no...I'm ok...and you're just about there. Tonight there were a load of great bands. Sticking with my hangover driven minimal reviews...
Coptor - space addled rock n' soul monsters with a robot who run the whole Coldrice shebang and should be famous 'cos they're ace.
The Grease Monkeys - Glaswegian blues rockers with a mental male lead vocalist (v. entertaining and powerful female vocalist who plays a mean harmonica (it won't do the washing up or buy anyone a drink at the end of the night...boom boom - good grief now I'm Basil Brush...).
The Sugars - seriously brilliant band from Leeds with a deeply sexy lady and very cool gent who reminded me a bit of The White Stripes - only better (and I happen to love The White Stripes). Totally '50's they make the kind of music you imagine James Dean would've shagged Marilyn to.
The Dexateens - Deep south Gods of Leon, the real deal.
Dan Sartain - God I love this guy, from his pencil thin 'tache down his 5ft somthing frame to his little boots. Again a heavy '50's flavour with music that reminds me a little of the Them track Baby Please Don't Go . Walk Among the Cobras was a real highlight in a set sprinkled with them. The fact that - due to the intimate venue - I was standing literally 2ft away from him made it all slightly surreal, in a good way though. Buy his album please...THIS MAN NEEDS TO BE HEARD BY MORE PEOPLE!!!
Swampmeat - drummer from The Big Bang's side project. Surprisingly strong vocals, short set, but very promising.
The Big Bang - One of the many Birmingham bands poised to make it, The Big Bang are loud, trashy and pack enough swagger to see them make the front cover of NME (before it finally turns up its toes like every other music paper has). I've seen them loads of times before and they just get better and better. If Joe Strummer were alive, and in a band, it would be The Big Bang.
So, several JD's later, we stumbled out into the early hours of Sunday morning and back to reality. But, for a few hours, life was just one big house party. Viva Coldrice.
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