| ’Ready Art Brut?’ The antithesis
of everything conventional or cultural, Art Brut look like the misfits
who came together after a particularly debauched office Christmas party. Led by
Eddie Argos – think Robert Smith with optimism and a gram – he pulls the punches
for all the ‘un-cool’, ‘unfashionable’ people among us, and what’s more it’s done
with satirical, comedic intelligence. Overweight, sweating profusely and unable
to sing a note, Argos and his misfits gift us with music that hasn’t been this
cut throat, addictive or tuneless for a long while. Lovably energetic and reckless,
Art Brut create a party atmosphere even before they jump into the crowd and wrestle
each other back onstage. Reliving a favourite song and bedroom moment, they’re
still able to take the fight to the culture jugular. ‘Bad Weekend’ carries the
line: ‘Popular Culture no longer applies to me’, whilst ‘Formed A Band’ sarcastically
sneers: ‘and yes this is my singing voice/ it’s not irony and it’s not rock n
roll/ I’m just talking…to the kids’. Closing on ‘Good Weekend’ a good time rock
n roll jaunt, sees Argos repeatedly hollering ‘I’ve seen her naked twice!’ Outside
art indeed. After the comedic critique of Art Brut, the icy presence of
Ikara Colt sees the temperature drop a little. Sweeping onstage with the distant
cool of the S.S, Ikara Colt bring their own brand of dark, damaging indie to Goldsmiths
inherently fashionable crowd. With a solitary head banger/fan going at it for
all he’s worth, crowd appreciation seems as distant as their stage presence. Rifling
through a short and sultry repertoire of debut album ‘Modern Apprentice’, Ikara
Colt take the offhand aggressiveness of 80’s Matchbox B-line Disaster and the
alluring nature of the Von Bondies, and engineering it into a threatening resonance.
‘Rewind’ lulls and leers before exploding into a snare drum onslaught, ‘Wanna
Be That Way’ scowls and stutters with an arduous intensity typified in every song.
Sandwiched in between Art Brut and the pseudo friendly Electric Soft
Parade, they do make for a heavy filler, and as the ominously sinister drum
pound of ‘Day Draws Thin’ draws to a close, the reiteration of ‘What is your problem
here?’ becomes almost surgical. So I guess black’s not in this season? Relevant
sites:
http://listen.to/artbrut
Sherief Younis for Crud Magazine 2004©
October - December 2004- News Archive | |
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