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Snakebite is selling by the bucket load, black hoodies
are compulsory, the perfectly crafted rip in your fishnets
appears to be optional (for the boys anyway) and there’s
a lot of swearing going on. Okay, so that last one is
just me having found myself in a scene not dissimilar
to ‘Kindergarden Cop’, but the other three comments
should all be your indication that tonight I find myself
in the company of people who have homework to do. And
goddamn they’re pissed about that.
C’mon guys say fuck you - Fuck you (Audience echo)
He’s a dick - He’s a dick
Fuck him - Fuck him
Asshole - Asshole
Goldfinger, A’s warm up act of choice, having
arrived on stage to the Bond theme are earnestly attempting
to incite a riot and with lyrics like that I’ll happily
throw the first petrol bomb in the hope it will shut
them up. Doubt it though. 6 cigarettes and some severe
eye-rolling later, Goldfinger depart to be replaced
by the vaguely more sophisticated A who launch
immediately in to ‘I love Idaho’.
Even amidst artillery of plastic glasses it takes me
approximately 15 seconds to realise their superiority
over the support acts. Jason Perry throws himself
around the stage in a not dissimilar fashion to Fred
Durst and with his huge frame this is quite an impressive
site and whilst the lyrics are lost somewhere in the
Academy never to reach my ears in any understandable
form, the tune manages to steer clear of enough nu-metal
clichés to remain a half energetic mosh-pit favourite.
Sadly it’s all over in minutes and we’re on to the teen
flick soundtrack wannabe ‘Starbucks’ and half a dozen
other bland ‘anthems’.
A are probably best known to most of us for chart hit
‘Nothing’ with its catchy intro riff or the irritating
bop ‘Starbucks’ but these boys have been around for
a good few years with their first album released in
1997 (the fantastically titled – 'How ace are buildings?').
A are often bundled in with other angst acts
– Papa Roach, Linkin Park and even Limp
Bizkit and with new album Hi-Fi Serious,
I guess they’re trying to jostle their way up the ranking
but to be honest its not the most discerning of audiences
and I’m sure they can all be nu-metal favourites for
a few months.
Don’t get me wrong, for what it is – polished pop-rock
with the odd touch of nu-metal – it's high grade, but
what it is instantly denies it the possibility of subtlety.
And whilst I’m glad the kids are here and not saving
their pocket money for the latest house re-remix I can’t
say that A’s sound shows any sign of maturing in to
really memorable rock music. Mind you, offered a perpetual
playground of big bucks and big noise I wouldn’t be
moving on so fast either.
All I can say about A is if you’re under 21, go and
love it, over 21 and I suspect eye-rolling and swearing
will form a large part of your evening too.
The gig also ties in with the re-issue of their Silver-certified
album “Hi-Fi Serious”, now complete with their first
DVD release “DVD Serious.” released via London Records
on November 25th.
The DVD includes live footage of “Nothing”, “Starbucks”
and “Going Down” from their main-stage performance at
the Reading Festival (the later filmed on multi-angle
format), as well as “I Love Lake Tahoe” from their set
at the London Astoria.
The new single “Something’s Going On” is out now and
features as the lead track on the latest instalment
of the Playstation classic “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.”
more info:
www.a-communication.com
Kim or Crud Magazine© 2002
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| 08/02 Beachwood Sparks Interview
08/02 Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head
08/02 Goldrush - Don't Bring Me Down
08/02 Montgolfier Brothers Interview
08/02 Wilco - Interview - Jeff Tweedy
09/02 Apples In Stero Interview
09/02 Audio Vent Interview - Band Of Brothers
09/02 Beck - Sea Change Listening Party
09/02 Bon Jovi - Everyday
09/02 Peter Gabriel - UP - Signal To Noise Ratio
09/02 Ikara Colt - Live - 100 Club, London
09/02 Joy Zipper - Ron
09/02 Kathryn Williams - No One Takes You Home
09/02 Carling Weekend Leeds Festival
09/02 Noise Therapy - Interview - Ron Thiessen
09/02 Splender Interview
10/02 Dragpipe Interview
10/02 Foo Fighters - One By One
10/02 Goldrush - Live - Camden, Dingwalls
10/02 Hell Is For Heroes - Live - Brixton Academy , London
|  | 10/02 Jetplane Landing - Live - Grage , London
10/02 Kinesis - Live - Grage , London
10/02 Ladytron - Seveteen
10/02 Longwave - Live - Water Rats, London
10/02 My Computer - Live - Camden Monarch, London
10/02 Polyphonic Spree - Tour Dates
10/02 Silvertide Interview
10/02 Simian - Live - Bethnal Green Working Men's Club, London
10/02 System of A Down - Steal This Album
10/02 Talib Kweli - Quality
12/02 A - Live - Brixton Academy, London
12/02 Audio Bullys - We Don't Care
12/02 Aurelius 7 Interview
12/02 Burning Brides Interview
12/02 D4 - Live - Mean Fiddler, London
12/02 Kickrollers
12/02 Top Ten Albums 2002
January 2001
July - August 2001
September - October 2001
November - December 2001
January - March 2002
April - July 2002
August - December 2002 | |
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