"Hello. Can I ring you back? I'm a bit busy now. Yeah, I'm in a band and we're on stage and the rest of them are
waiting for me so that we can start"
Believe it or not, but that is how Valerie started their set tonight.
It's not so much their D-I-Y ethic, as their D-I-Y FUN ethic that shines through what at
times is a rambling but at others is totally coherent in a spectacular, spot on fashion
Starting with "Virginia" the set list is ploughed through be fore they make a stark
admission--THEY ACTUALLY PRACTICED the other night. And it showed when they
deliver a blinding rendition of "Pop Stars"
The interaction with the audience involved Gary stepping from the shadows to start
hitting the cymbals, which was probably just as well as drummer Elvis was swigging
away on a bottle of Beck's. With Joel bouncing, & rolling around irrepressibly, snow
goggles being paraded, a level of entertainment for the evening has been sent which
no-one slips below.
And just for special effect, Joel decided to try to set
fire to someone's tracksuits bottoms
Jackie O, a fine mesh of mewling guitars, pumping
drums and slurred American accents. The torrent of
feedback screams across the room taking no prisoners
before hitting you again. Strutting, preening and
disappearing into the audience, Captain Starfield is reveling in the cracking
atmosphere, soaking up the appreciation
Now when was the first table broken? Was it during the Parkinson's riotous display
of to the late 70's style of punk rock. Certainly, beer was split, thrown and lapped up.
Indeed a trailing mic stand accounted for several of the broken pint pots, and no
doubt several bruises as the crowd decided to match the fervor and energy on display
with a severe outbreak of pogo-ing. Unceasing in intensity and passion, they
appear to genuinely wish they were there first time around, and just for the sheer hell
of it take to the stage in boxers only.
The evening has been growing in expectation, the acts pushing themselves to deliver
raw performances as equal to anything previously executed. So how can Moco top
that? I suppose there was only one way really. Thirty seconds into the fist song, Elvis has got Jonesy on her
shoulders, another table has broken and this is the time when the bar staff say enough is enough and literally pull the
plug. So in effect, the occasion has led to the only possible conclusion.-- lights out for everyone