Queen Adreena...

venue:   Concorde 2 review date:   Monday, 3 October 2005 words by:   Claire Wathen photos by:   Amy Goodall & Claire Wathen [ intro | page 1 ]

review

Katie-Jane Garside
is one of the most
entertaining frontwomen
that rock has ever had

She totters, wine bottle in hand, barefooted onto the stage with a stained pink, Cinderella-esque (pre-ball!) dress precariously draped over her body. Jackie-O style glasses and a big floppy sunhat top off her outfit, and she cheekily grins as the band storms into the classic Queen Adreena song Kitty Collar Tight.

They play with a sound as unhinged, noisy and tight as they do on their records with a stage performance to match. All four four band members give the impression of being away with the fairies, but still do not fail to deliver the heavy, catchy tunes of Queen Adreena without fault.

Katie-Jane’s movements echo her schizophrenic voice of sweet childish whispers and manic screams as she leads the band through a well picked selection of songs from all three of their albums; guzzling wine, posing on a chair, crawling around the stage and somehow managing to (just about!) keep inside that dress of hers. Whether she comes across as sexy, disturbing or whatever you think of her, it is undeniable that Katie-Jane Garside is one of the most entertaining frontwomen that rock has ever had.

The material from the recent album Butcher and the Butterfly stood out just as, if not more strongly than their older material; a reassuring sign that Queen Adreena are still producing songs with their own unique sound, and are not going to become one of those bands who have to rely on their old material to put on a good show.

After a fantastic set of pulsating songs, Katie-Jane's fellow band members left her alone on the stage, standing on a chair to perform a-cappella a stylish little solo, illuminated by spotlight. The band then returned to the stage for an encore of two more Queen Adreena classics; Razorblade Sky and Polly. The band proved ever energetic as the guitarist almost took out photographers with his guitar-wielding antics. Katie-Jane mounted the monitor at the side of the stage to sing just one last song, reaching out to hold hands with her idolising fans, much to their delight.

Queen Adreena is one of those bands who have a large, but underground fan base and this was a performance that would surely have satisfied any fan.

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about Concorde 2

Okay, so you may have to walk a bit to reach it... but that just makes it that little bit more exclusive doesn't it! Located along Madeira Drive, the Concorde 2 is a sizeable venue with a huge variety of clubnights and bands on each month. Some top names, some great festivals, World Music... you name it. If you can't find something to pique your interest then you might as well pack your bags and head for Eastbourne... The next Concorde 2 date for your diary: Sunday, 23rd November Ladytron + Support Click for more info and complete listings for Concorde 2