notice! Recently other bands have been compared to us on the Losing Today website!!!
and our name gets dropped on some music message boards (very bizarre)
Melody Maker In Dublin
Tonight was a fitting tribute to the late John Peel, showcasing an impressive collection of diverse bands, all of
whom featured on the legendary broadcaster’s show at some stage – a testament to the Radio 1 DJ’s
tireless promotion of new music. The evening kicked off with a superb performance by House Of Mexico,
whose bewitching brand of angular guitar-pop set feet tapping among the enthusiastic crowd. A particular
highlight was the brilliant closing cover of Gene Clark’s ‘Elevator Operator’, which segued flawlessly from
‘60s psych-pop to an awesome ‘I Am The Resurrection’-style dance-rock groove.
Next up were energetic three-piece Female Hercules, whose thumping, bluesy brand of punk puts one in
mind of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. ‘In With The Out Crowd’ was an early highlight, its corrosive riffing
and wry, outsider-chic lyrics proving a particularly potent mix.
From there, a ferocious Wire cover and a scalding rendition of ‘I Start Counting’ brought the set to an
explosive close, the songs brimming with the vigour and aggression that so often comes with the power-trio
format.
Which brought us to Smiths-u-like, '80s torch-pop merchants Hey Paulette – tonight playing their first gig
together in 13 years! While ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’ recalls Morrissey and Marr at their songwriting zenith,
it’s not all indie jingle-jangle a-go-go, as the excellent ‘Happy To Be Here’ amply demonstrated. Starting
out with a one-two drumbeat that pays homage to ‘Be My Baby’, it eventually slid, ‘Take Me Out’ style,
into Strokes-style bouncy guitar-pop. Think ‘Someday’ with a Phil Spector beat. They saved the best until
last, however, with the final track, ‘Ceremony’, building from a ringing, dreamy intro to an all-out sonic
assault, which featured some remarkably dextrous, Keith Moon-like drumming.
Paul Nolan
