The Temper Trap and The Virgins at Stream Sessions

I went to London last week to check out some Aussies and some Americans:THE VIRGINS
THE TEMPER TRAP
Stream Sessions, London, 23/04/09

Following in the recent footsteps of Sydney bands Angus & Julia Stone and Ghostwood, Melbourne's The Temper Trap (above) have relocated to England. Before embarking on a host of European festivals, including a spot on The Camden Crawl and at Brighton's Great Escape, they touted their talents at an industry session in central London.

Despite bassist Jonny having the handicap of an amp that refused to work for much of the gig, the show was still typically enthralling. Sweet Disposition, as always, was a highlight, and, the longer the set went on, the louder the cheers from the packed room became. "Wow, that free booze is really starting to kick in," vocalist Dougy suggested with misplaced modesty after a particularly lengthy ovation from a crowd that knew little-to-nothing about the Australians before they had hit the stage. On this showing, the Victorians are set to make waves when their debut album hits the shelves later this year and, quite simply, if England doesn't take to The Temper Trap, then England is wrong.The Virgins (above) arrived on a wave of hype. Frontman Donald Cumming - shirtless and with bow tie - swaggered around stage, hands on hips like the bastard child of Mick Jagger. Maybe it was due to the slightly muddy sound in the room, but their songs lacked the sleazy electro edge of their self-titled debut album. Okay, so there was nothing especially wrong with their show, but it was hard to see why people are getting just so excited about this bunch of New Yorkers. Sure, songs like Rich Girls were fun and, if The Strokes had never happened, then The Virgins could certianly be considered new and exciting. But The Strokes did happen, like, eight years ago, and it's hard to shift the feeling that it's all been done before. And better.

Trekstock 2009

When music and charity mix, it often amounts to little more than ego-massaging pomp; Bono and Eddie Vedder getting all dewy-eyed as they hold hands at centre-front of stage and set about saving the world by singing Neil Young covers while Madonna adopts her 37th African child. Thank goodness then for the delightful Trekstock, which just gets on with raising money without such self-congratulation.

Trekstock began in 2006, when London-based good egg, Sophie Epstone, needed to raise some dosh to embark on a trek to Everest in support of Teenage Cancer Trust. To do so, she put on a small, fundraising gig. Since then, the events have grown in size and support for the cause has become widespread, with a number of celebrities happy to show get involved. Beth Ditto, Katy Perry (below), Mischa Barton, Kings of Leon, Agyness Deyn, Klaxons, The Mighty Boosh, Jarvis Cocker, Russell Brand, Albert Hammond Jnr, Kate Nash (below), The Horrors, Radio 1's Chris Moyles, Zane Lowe and Alan Carr all wear their Trekstock badges with pride. Trekstock has, thus far, raised thousands of pounds for Teenage Cancer Trust.
On May 13th, the charity returns for its fourth year of fundraising gigs with a launch night that sees Mark Ronson and some famous mates play at Proud in Camden, London. The supercool night will also mark the launch of a new range of Trekstock clothing and accessories, designed by Will Broome, Kate Moross, Laura Lees and Tatty Devine. If you can spare a few quid and want to get along to support a fantastic cause, then get your ticket to the gig from seetickets.com. As with previous events, it is sure to be an insanely cool night, as the young, talented and beautiful do their bit to help out the six teenagers a day that are diagnosed with cancer in the UK. If you are a facebooker (and who isn't nowadays?), then why not join the group?

The Wave Pictures at The Freebutt, Brighton

THE WAVE PICTURES
The Freebutt, Brighton
14/04/09

First things first, when and why did Brighton's cosiest venue decide it needed to refurbish? Tucked away in the back streets, the formerly tiny Freebutt has been graced by some of indie's finest. Little more than a pub back-room (Sydneysiders, think The Annandale but a quarter of the size) with a cramped, barely raised stage, the Freebutt felt delightfully low-key. Watching a gig there (like the two occasions I saw Kimya Dawson) felt like a privilidge, like being part of a secret.

Now, the bar area has been reduced (and feels cramped) in order to facilitate a much bigger main room, which is perfectly fine except for THE MASSIVE PILLAR RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE STAGE which procludes about a third of the people in the room from seeing anything. The stage itself is far bigger than it needs to be for such a small venue too. Okay, so it's cool that more people can get into gigs there now, but they could have sorted out some decent air-con while they were refurbishing. It was insanely hot in the busy room. "I just want to check, is everybody warm enough?" Wave Pictures frontman David Tattersall joked as sweat leaked from every pore of every person. The show was worth dehydrating for though. Tattersall's vocal was much more accessible live than on the three-piece's records and he proved himself to be a fucking awesome guitarist too. His lyrics were always clever and, while they very occasionally bordered on cringeworthy, were generally full of English wit and wry observations. Friday Night In Loughborough stood out during a 45-minute set of old and new tunes, as did I Love You Like a Madman.

Between songs, the band were as unassuming as their dressed-down appearance and showed a pleasing unpretentiousness. While the venue they were performing in may have lost its unique charm, The Wave Pictures brought heaps of it with them.

David Ford at The Old Market, Brighton

Last week, for the first time since 2007, I saw David Ford play:
Amid a credit-crunch and in an era when the music industry is haemorrhaging money, musicians are increasingly having to tighten their belts and go a bit DIY. Not a problem for Eastbourne troubadour David Ford who, with the help of some power-tools and a bit of elbow grease, built his own band for his latest, self-funded tour of the UK. Equally at home playing with just a guitar for company or filling a festival stage with a 14-piece ensemble, this time Ford supplemented a vocal and guitar/piano by utilising his trusty loop pedal and an ingenious remote control drum-kit. Not a drum machine. An actual drum kit, with sticks and everything. It played itself in the corner while Ford controlled it from centre-front.

In keeping with the unusual stage set-up, the evening took on a different dynamic too, with no support act but instead two intimate sets from Ford split by an interval. The old songs were as welcomingly familiar as a pair of comfy trousers. Of them, the vitriolic State of the Union was still as mind-blowing as ever, as Ford slowly and deliberately laid loop atop loop. Song For The Road was sweet, and there was even a surprise nod to his past, as he played a stripped-down version of old Easyworld favourite, Demons.

The two hour set was littered by new, unreleased tracks too and it was these, most notably the beautiful To Hell With The World, that stood out and certainly whetted the appetite for the release of some new material later this year.

The Wave Pictures - Instant Coffee Baby

THE WAVE PICTURES
Instant Coffee Baby

Clearly adhering to the notion that, if the songs are good enough, there’s no need to tart them up with over-production, London trio The Wave Pictures recorded Instant Coffee Baby on little more than a beaten up old eight-track. The result is a charmingly lo-fi and raw collection of woozy songs that fall nicely between 1950‘s rock ‘n’ roll and some of the more appealing aspects of Britpop.

Standout track We Come Alive is a good indicator of this, with 50s surf-rock guitar and handclaps accompanying a simple chorus that bursts with harmonies. David Tattersall’s vocal ranges from a warble to a strained wail and is similar to Hefner’s Darren Hayman, which is hardly surprising as The Wave Pictures have previously acted as his backing band and support. Admittedly, his voice is a little jarring at first, but it makes perfect sense in context with the very clever, very English lyrics, which tell stories of life and love with a quintessential wit that is reminiscent of Morrissey or Alex Turner. During Friday Night In Loughborough, he talks of a drunken night out: “That’s how you ripped your tights/But you made it back on your feet alright/With the girl from Baker’s Oven holding back your hair.” Then the guitars and la la la’s lead us out of the song like Herman Düne playing with Chuck Berry. It’s all delightful stuff, and there is such depth here that the songs grow increasingly appealing with every listen, making Instant Coffee Baby a thoroughly rewarding album.

Passion, noise and excitement?

Every Saturday i have my own column in English newspaper, The Argus. here is today's:
I gave my Australian girlfriend her first taste of English football last week. Being an integral part of the super trendy Sydney fashion scene, she is far more interested in high-waisted trousers and vintage dresses than watching 22 men with Toni & Guy haircuts chase a piece of leather around some grass, but, knowing what a big part of my life football is, she was happy to come and see what gets me so happy/angry/frustrated/depressed on a Saturday. Bearing in mind the only other sporting occasion she has ever attended was an Aussie Rules game played at Melbourne’s world-famous MCG in front of about 90,000 fervent fans, I had to try to choose a match that would equal that occasion for atmosphere and thrills. So, with that in mind, the most obvious thing to do would have been to take her to England’s important World Cup qualifier at Wembley on Wednesday night. I didn’t do that though. Oh no. I decided to give her her first sample of English football in a place that is perhaps least representative of its passion, noise and excitement. That’s right, we went to Withdean to watch a goalless draw between Brighton & Hove Albion and Tranmere Rovers.

We sat in the north stand and I did my best to explain what was happening on the pitch (“The Brighton player is kicking the ball to another Brighton player… oh, he’s kicked it straight at the Tranmere player.”). She seemed to take it all in, although, as Brighton's Dean Cox almost scored a cracking volley, I noticed her absently reading the list of ingredients on the back of her drink bottle. Later, as Tranmere fired in a corner, she was instead focusing on pulling a loose thread from her jumper. I’m sure we can all sympathise with the fact that her attention wandered at regular intervals and, for the most part, she actually rather enjoyed the game, even though she didn‘t get to see any goals. While she may not have sampled English football in its most indicative environment (like at a ground where the stands aren‘t a million miles from the pitch), she did at least get the full Withdean experience in just one afternoon. She got to see how the warmth of the sun can create a typically lethargic atmosphere, and how the inevitable rain causes everyone to reach for their ponchos. She saw fairly poor football punctuated by some decent moments, heard an equal amount of wit, moaning and expletives from fans, and got to join in with the occasional chant of ‘Albion’. Oh, and at least Brighton didn’t lose. I suppose, actually, in that respect, it wasn’t quite the full Withdean experience after all.