Inside the Underworld today there must have been at least three ladies to every man. Never before have I been to a show with such a heavy ratio in that respect (although that might change when I go to see Backstreet Boys next week). Ladyfest is an arts festival that first started in Olympia, Washington in 2000 and has since been seen worldwide. Its sole intention is to raise awareness of women in art, as well as run workshops on issues surrounding women within the industry. With that in mind it really isn’t surprising to see so many women present, but it is nice to see guys here too. Being alone here as a single male is a little daunting though, but, in a way, equally comforting; the atmosphere seems far more tranquil but I hadn’t realised how frightening a large group of girls assembled in one place, especially those with punk beliefs, can be. Soon there is music though to allow me time to forget.
Sitting on the floor at the Underworld is normally an awful idea but it seems perfectly fitting for this two-piece. First song in and, once you get past Jimmy’s thick Scottish accent, you become immersed in their mixture of heartfelt, offbeat, comedic songs that say things about life but keep these insights to the subtext. The between song banter is very similar and you get the feeling that, illustrated well with Jimmy being a big bloke with glitter in his beard and strumming a ukulele, that they’re a band that tend not to take themselves too seriously, but the enjoyment factor is there for them and the assembled crowd.
Going back to that first song though, which was my favourite personally, and it saddens me, now that I’m listening to their MySpace, that I cannot find it online. Written entirely upon a backdrop of Star Wars characters, they manage to build a really quite touching premise of this underdog character who, as the lead lyric repeats throughout the song, ‘Don’t want to be Jar Jar Binks anymore.’ I can’t imagine them becoming Han Solo anytime soon, but they might manage R2-D2.
www.myspace.com/thebobbymcgees
Monday Club do not suit sitting on the floor for. Sitting somewhat strangely on a bill consisting entirely of acoustic loveliness come this balls-out (minding the obvious irony of such a statement) rock ‘n’ roll band that have electric guitars and try their best to blow the crowd away. Ultimately this is pretty hard for a band that sticks out like a sore thumb on this bill to do to a seated audience, but it’s not the arses being on the floor or the band being on an inappropriate bill that is the problem as much as the band just not being very interesting. As a three piece straight out rock band you need a guitarist that can really play, mixing solid riffs in the verses and then being able to unleash a solo on cue, but you do not get that from Astrud (guitar and lead vocals). Instead the band seems to struggle awkwardly through their set with nothing of note sticking out.
Somehow managing to stand out for the rest initially and then become instantly forgettable by the end of their first song is the only achievement that I saw from this band.
http://www.myspace.com/mondayclubband
SLOW CLUB
I imagine that no one reads my reviews of this band anymore. This is the sixth time that I’ve seen them and guess what? Probably better than any other so far and so you can imagine how much I want to just draw a big heart here and leave it at that. They are a band that make music that people disliking would baffle me. It is inoffensive but not dull. It is simple without ever seeming basic. It is one of those rare occasions where I can find no faults or pointers in anything they do, new songs sound just as promising as old ones and their set list can feature, or not feature for that matter, any of their songs and I’ll still walk away content.
I once loved a girl. She could do no wrong. She had lovely blonde hair and then one day dyed it brown. She told me this over the phone and my stomach tightened but when I saw her she was just as pretty. She would speak solidly for fifteen minutes without me even being able to acknowledge her sentences and yet I’d listen. I’d spend all day thinking of how to make her happy. I would write stories about sea creatures and she would illustrate them. We made each whole and she could make my day just by existing. One night at a party she broke up with me. I went back to our hotel room and cried solidly. I eventually fell asleep and woke up with pillows wet from tears and sweat. In the morning I watched Wimbledon highlights on the television and had a shower then took her stuff back to her. She didn’t come out so I left it in the front garden behind a bin. And then I went home. I cried a lot but always in private as it was my sister’s birthday and I didn’t want to ruin it. I got over it quickly but it still hurts from time to time. I miss those days and nostalgia is not my friend.
Slow Club seem able to capture the emotions of the entire above paragraph, the utter contentment of Me and You will go directly into the agony of loss in Apples and Pairs and your heart will be a flutter with all kinds of feelings that you only get from knowing someone truly special. Get to know Slow Club; I couldn’t be happier that I did.
There couldn’t be a more appropriate artist to appear at Ladyfest. To me she encapsulates everything that is feminine in this world, she knows what she wants from life but always makes sure that she gives just as much back. Her songs are full of honesty, simple truths told by someone who seems to love manipulating words to make them sound as wonderful as their meanings are purposeful. With the success of her work on the soundtrack to Juno it is hardly surprising to see a packed room for this cult character, the kind of person who sits behind her merch stall throughout the day and who is happy to just soak up everyone and everything, whilst being open enough to explain her inadequacies. She seems to have gotten to a point in her life where she is accepting of herself and her place in the world and being in someone’s company like that is worthy of the admission fee alone.
Why am I talking so much about Kimya’s personality instead of the music? Well while her guitar playing is lovely and her cracked, sweet vocal both manage to do her incredible song writing justice, it is the atmosphere that she musters that makes the gig quite wonderful. When people complain about there not being enough floor space due to people sitting down she invites a whole bunch to join her and sit on stage. When she plays songs from her forthcoming child’s album, Alphabutt, she gets the crowd to suggest animals that didn’t feature in the song and even make the odd animal noise. A lovely performance from a person so rich of heart that it seems like an almost religious experience.
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