"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