MUSIC IN MANCHESTER

More VC's here

The back catalogue of media information (e.g. DVD's containing re-runs of 60's TV shows) currently being pillaged from the archives, allows one to become submersed in a "So Real You Are Almost There" experience, that can blur the memory.

Let's face it, if you remember the 66 final on tele in colour, then you weren't really aware of it at the time - the colour footage only came out after the finals

The VC's appear to have embraced the challenge enthusiastically, seemingly rooting themselves in a smudged reality that combines surf music (as dispensed by the likes of the Cramps) to be combined with an overdose of sci-fi imagery (Barberalla, Ray Harryhausen of Jason & the Argonauts fame), weird electronica, rounded off with dollops of their own tongue in cheek humour

Opener "Hey, Woo, Yeah" is a more rockier tilt at the core sound to follow, designed to get the attention of the fair crowd

The beautiful bass rumble that will dominate the set, at times could almost be the soundtrack lifted from the likes of 70's TV series The Persuaders

Visually they seek to entertain as well; keyboardist & theremin operator Keyop-503 is kitted out in lab technicians white coat, whilst bassist "FemBot-S4FF" is hermetically sealed into her Dominatrix type pvc outfit body remaining rooted to the spot. Mind you, balance in her 5 inch killer heels movement is quite difficulty, presumably the reason why her face, hidden in wrap around black glasses, remains expressionless - she's concentrating on not falling over.

Frontman and vocalist Vocoder Joe goes one better in terms of eyewear, donning the now ubiquitous ski mask. Lyrics are not the strong point of the band, songs mainly being instrumentals, or punctuated with the odd, whelp or strangled whoop. Ever the drummer, Specimen 100 wear shades. Don't let that be held against them just yet.

When they let the songs flow and mutate away from the dominant bass line into something more frantically, satisfying, as on set closer " Ray Harryhausen Creates His Perfect 12" Woman", then an intriguing future exists.

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