The Coast / All Your Peers / The Heathers / Tom Peel @ The Rainbow, Friday 13th February 2009

Happy Valentine's day! Feel the love. Mwah mwah (that's air kissing by the way, not me being sick). Before I get stuck into another chapter in the continuing adventures of The Baron in Rainbow land I wanted to show some love to Ian/Jimmy (I thought he was called Ian but he's called Jimmy in his band bio?!), the soundman at The Rainbow (and lead singer of The Indigos). I've been to one or two gigs in my time and know that a crap soundman can pretty much ruin even the best of bands. Ian/Jimmy on the other hand, is an awesome soundman and last night was nothing less than a masterclass in soundmanology. Give that man a medal.

Speaking of masterclasses...aaahhhhh...thy name is Tom Peel. Being a slack assed ho I go to the gig a leeeeetle bit late and Tom was already well into his set but we caught a fair chunk of it. At times so fragile he's almost not there, at others (last night at least) channelling the spirits of Louis Armstrong and Tom Waits (yes, I know Waitsy ain't dead), he is, as I've said on more than one ocassion, like chicken soup for the soul.

Next up, The Heathers featuring, for only the second time ever...Rachel! Off the door and all that. Rachel's voice is perfectly suited to the indie rock (with a twinge of West Coast) material and she's bloody great fun to watch too, acting out bits of the songs with little hand gestures and some awesome air guitar. The left breast raising bit in This Copper Heart was a particular highlight. Maybe she'll do it for you next time they play? Like I said in my first review of the band it will be interesting to watch where they go from here but it's an impressive start (catch 'em at The St Patrick's day do on the 15th March and see for yourself).

Brighton Pier, Wigan Pier, Blackpool Pier...yes, it's All Your Piers! What's that? Oh PEERS. Right. All Your Peers are a curious proposition in places. The vocals and much of the music is pure rock, but the lead guitarist plays that more high pitch, faster guitar style that you'd associate with The Foals (maths rock I believe the old men call it) for example. It works though, at times they almost hit Muse (one of the best big name live acts around right now in my humble opinion) levels of sound and impact. Lady B wanted them to all have long hair and wear spandex...I'm beginning to worry about her. I can heartily recommend listening to their standout track, All Fours, right now at their My Space page. It's not at all rocky, but that guitar bit, very catchy.

Last up, all the way from Canada, it's The Coast. Coming from Canada they have to be part of that Broken Social Scene...er...scene...that seems anything but broken really. Like one of my personal favourites, Stars, they share that same emotional edge to the music, big on slow build tunes that reach a crescendo before vanishing like snowflakes on a hot tin roof (yes, I'm only too aware that snow and hot tin roofs have no place together, but I'm a bit hungover and starry eyed today and, besides, you're not actually reading this are you?). I have to admit I'd not heard any of their tracks before tonight but a couple really stuck out and are lodged firmly in the old brain, the piano driven Nuevo York, being a particular highlight. Niiiiiice.