++GIG REVIEW++
Artrocker.com heads down to the party bloc in East London to catch a double bill of experimental pop music, featuring the wild abandon of Slow Club, and the abstract indie-dance of Micachu...
Tonight's atmosphere feels somewhat like New Years Eve down the indie-pop club; geezers are hugging, girls are giggling, and everybody's counting down the clock.
Before the band of the hour make their hotly tipped appearance, a trio of 13 year olds mumble their way on stage and lay down the law. This is MICACHU, and they're here to play tropical techno-pop with a hint of nonsensical melody.
"The result hits the heart and gets the crowd yelping like hillbillies..."
There are three things to note about Micachu: first, their drummer mixes up the beats as if he's got a sampler lodged in his brain. Second, the singer (also named Micachu) has a lip curl that even Elvis would be jealous of. Third, together with keyboard whizz Raisa Khan, they make music which is sometimes danceable - but always unpredictable.
Ok, let's bring King Kong onto the stage. SLOW CLUB are unbelievably just two people. Judging by their EP I was expecting at least, well... six of 'em? Hell no - utilising the classic White Stripes line up of drums and guitar, they manage to kick up on hell of a shit storm.
Their tunes can loosely be described as having a 'sieze the day' mentality, but if there's one factor which unites them all, it's the oozing of soul. Charles and Rebecca's vocals twist and turn around each other, like snakes creating strange shapes. The result hits the heart and gets the crowd yelping like hillbillies.
There's a few entrancing slowies in the middle, but as Rebecca promises, "We'll be cracking open the party at the end, don't worry." So after premiering new song ('There's No Good Way To Say I'm leaving You'), the band race into a double bill of rockabilly soul, racing drums and wild screams of abandon.
The wooping from the crowd is deafening, the band are grinning like kids, and it feels like New Years Eve has come and gone. "Thanks for coming to our biggest show so far!" says Rebecca, "The Eps are on sale at the back!" The que starts here.
++ Ric Rawlins ++
Artrocker rating: 4
