Itttttt's Chrissssssstmas!!! Well, nearly. So what better way to celebrate than a bit of meat inspired madness courtesy of our old friends Mills & Boon. No masks this time round (maybe they were in awe of Shit and Shine's) but plenty of tunes to get Linda McCartney spinning in her grave. They kind of reminded me of a cross between System Of A Down and Jethro Tull tonight. Don't ask me why. I have no answers. That's Google you want there...or those annoying 18188811888 people.
Next up, and a band who no doubt have many answers, The Courtesy Group. Whether he's playing to a bloody great warehouse full of people or a more select gathering Mr Courtesy himself, Al, always gives it some welly. He wore a rather fetching nylon dressing gown tonight, the sort favoured by grannies, and did plenty of his trademark wandering around the room bellowing his cut up words of wisdom at folk. In a better world The Courtesy Group would be feted by the tastemakers. I only hope that their forthcoming album hits the spot and gives them the respect they're due. Despite hearing Brick House Blues a million times I still loves it, especially the way it goes all deedoodeedeedoodoodoo. That's a particularly good bit. They played a splendid version of The New Beef tonight too (imagine The Small Faces on crack)...possibly in honour of Mills & Boon (it's a whole meat thing you see). I believe Al lives in Bearwood too - God's own country - which makes The Courtesy Group my 'local' band. Hurrah!
Finally, Shit and Shine. I've seen a lot of bands in my time. Oh so many bands. Yet only one band has ever done an entire set of just one track. That honour belongs to Shit and Shine. For the uninitiated the band consists of two guitarists who wear blue masks and bunny rabbit ears (think the Blue Man Group crossed with that strange creature from Donnie Darko). They have drummers too. Three tonight but I've heard tales of up to 20. Oh...there's a chappie with an oscillator (email me the correct spelling and I'll send you some fudge...not really...not unless you want some fudge...in which case you can damn well buy it yourself) box too. But he seemed very very verrrrrrryyyyy drunk. The drummers all played the same drum beat over and over and over and over and over and over and over and...you get the picture. The blue guitar bunnies tortured their instruments and Mr Drunk Oscillator man wibbled a lot. It was all rather strange but, after the first 15 minutes, quite hypnotic too. Like being in a womb...albeit a womb inhabited by terrifying blue bunnies, drummers and drunk blokes. You know, we need more groups like Shit and Shine. I'd like to see them on X Factor. It's the kind of music we need in 2008. Nightmareish but sort of reassuring at the same time. Everything's turning to shit, but shit can still shine. We are the world. We are the Children. We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start singing...and shitting. I can't think of anyone that they sound like...but they've got a bit of a Krautrock feel. They also skin their fans and hang their hides on the wall. I'd like to think so anyway. Oh, I liked the bit when one of the blue bunny men seemed to stamp on the drunk dudes head then jam him down the gap between the stage and the wall too. Nice touch. Shit and Shine then. Loud. Repetitive. And blue.
No comments:
Post a Comment