Indie

Hot Club de Paris - Audio - 4.10.08

Let me start by firstly saying this - I do not like writing negative reviews. I feel like one of those domestic football pundits who sit back on the couch with a packet of Walkers crisps and complain about the state of some of the world’s finest athletes. But sometimes it has to be done. So, on with the show..

We got to the venue - Audio - a little late, and missed all but two songs of the first support act; The Lyre Birds. What I heard though, was fantastic. Heartfelt acoustic melodies with some excellent singing. What’s more, they are from Brighton. I really would like to check out more of their gigs in future. It was a good first impression, and I was looking forward to the other acts.

Next up were Heelscatchfire. The band was obviously quite musically talented, but their vocalist sounded a lot like Pete Doherty from the Libertines (and consquently, 1001 other indie copycat bands). Their lyrics were also quite dark. There were not very many people in Audio, and those in attendance were obviously interested in a bit of good-time northern indie, not the dark and emotional Heelscatchfire. So most people did not react well to the band. This was a bit of a shame because they all looked rather young and like they could have done with the encouragement. But the crowd was rather thin on enthusiasm, and were obviously waiting for..

..Hot Club de Paris. These northern lads started by entertaining the crowd with a few amusing words about the ‘pilled up’ inhabitents of the bar above Audio, while the drummer tracked down a spare cymbol for the show. The crowd really didn’t seem up for it however, even when they kicked off with some good-time indie tunes.

It left me thinking, what if good-time northern indie has run its course? What if the Libertines, the Arctic Monkeys, Maximo Park et al have bled the vein dry, and people are looking to more individual quirky groups - such as Does it Offend you, Yeah?, Late of the Pier - those who want to do something a little differently than what’s currently out there. I pondered this while absently tapping my foot along to Hot Club de Paris. Even their most popular track, “Sometimesitsbetter”, failed to move me, and the rest of the people there seemed a little.. bored.

Well, there you have it. My first negative review. I am now going to immerse my ears in a cleansing bath of crunchy electro, and forget that there is music out there that I do not always agree with.

© 2008 Brighton Sound.