Brighton's best...
 |
Hot Hot Heat...
review Wandering through the crowd of the Concorde to get to the front of the venue puts me in mind of a sixth form disco this evening. Most of the audience appears to be under 18 and highly excited to be there. "Are any of Hot Hot Heat good looking?" one spangle-topped beauty demands of her stilettoed companion, "Not, really. Well, the singers alright I suppose", comes the measured and sage response. But this predominantly youthful crowd is well up for it this evening. Probably due to the appearance of MTV2 dictator Zane Lowe on stage and the prospect of appearing live on Radio 1, the audience is in a frenzy even before Hot Hot Heat take the stage.Hot Hot Heat launch straight into one of their many break-neck speed, bouncy guitar pop/rock tracks before letting us know that this is their first gig in Brighton and that they’re very pleased to be here, oh, and by the way we’re live on air. Cue much appreciative screaming and cheering. This isn’t the usual, arms crossed, 'impress me' Brighton audience I’m used to. The crowd is well up for their jagged, spiky guitar riffs and driving up-tempo rhythms. The single "No, Not Now" is tossed off casually towards the beginning of the set and goes down a storm. The band doesn’t seem to possess a "slow one", just a series of short, sharp danceable dance/rock tracks that just keep on coming. The band hurl themselves through a set that does not for one minute dip in speed, energy nor confidence. Whilst not all of their songs are entirely memorable, the sheer energy of their performance manages to carry them along with enough conviction to get away with it. But don’t expect a lot of depth from Hot Hot Heat, "You’ve Made a Mess" and "Oh Godammit" provide an insight into their metier. But they are in no way puerile nor juvenile, just good clean fun. Highly reminiscent of early XTC, all angular guitars and yelping vocals, it could almost be 1979 again if you were to close your eyes. Singer Steven Rays, who would best be described as all teeth and curls, for future reference, struts around the stage on pencil-thin legs, only occasionally darting back to his keyboard to add few power chords to the drums and wires, sending mic stands flying and roadies crouching to correct it. Thanking the crowd profusely for being so kind to the band. The whole group seems to be enjoying themselves immensely and this rubs off on the crowd who, baying for indie-disco staple hit single Bandages, eventually get their reward at the sweltering end of the set. more info and stuff, Hot Hot Heat is pretty good - but it’s very, very orange. about Concorde 2
|
   
...leave a yum! on a photo of someone you've taken a shine to to let them know you care! How to Yum!
|
Tube Station Tanning Salon
