Thursday 13/04/06 Adventures In The Beetroot Field @ Fabric, London

It’s a bit like the memory bit on the Generation Game.  14 bands and 30 min sets make for a quick fire round.  Unfortunately they don’t come via conveyor belt but here’s hoping for next year.  So there was The Noisettes, Battle, Ladyfuzz, Good Books… the dirty jitterbug electronica of Shychild.  Taking Modey Lemon’s moog moments with !!! disco funk sensibility and Rapture style vocals, this NY two piece beef it all up with a Casiotone keyboard.  The end result?  A slick, sedate and danceable DFA 1979 encased in some glossy electronic sheen. 

Then…

With Lamacq endorsements on par with Doherty court appearances, Polytechnic are expected to impress.  Dylan Giles, another singer with unconventionally raw vocals (See The Longcut) demonstrates you don’t need to be Chris Martin to front a band as Polytechnic alternate between country tinged pop janglings and distinct Manchester influences.  The sweet vocal harmonies and Arcade Fire sensibility of ‘Pep’ and Joy Division driven ‘Let me Down’ should see the legacy continue.

Erm…
 
One song in and the bass pedal breaks.  Welcome to Shitdisco.  Doing their darndest to woop that woop, Joel Stone swiftly disregards his jacket for grubby white vest and indecipherable Rab C Nesbitt type drawls.  Tight, teasing dance punk jitters and jerks, instruments are exchanged and Shitdisco hit you with a bass line that just won’t quit.  There’s glow sticks, there’s itchy feet and they’re what all night disco parties were made for.  Woop woop.

Oh!

The Noisettes are my new favourite mix tape.  Shingai Shoniwa’s provocative vocals range from soulful purr to quirky staccato.  Think a Joanna Newsome/Carina Round hybrid.  Art punk meets rolling grunge rhythms and the heavy rock hammer is consummately beefed up by Jamie Morrison’s stamping percussion and Dan Smith’s ever morphing guitar but the stage only belongs to one person.  They might have only released the one E.P but the soul babble of ‘Signs’ and the paranoid jazz shake of ‘Don’t Give Up’ coupled with Shoniwa’s enthralling stage presence guarantee The Noisettes are unlike anything else you’ll see or hear all year.

And…

iForward Russia! use numbers instead of titles!  Genius.  Saves journo ink and is set to replace the times table.  Apparently.  So we’re not entirely sure what Tom’s on about, although it’s rumoured ‘Nine’ may be used to teach colonial history – again unconfirmed - but he makes a forceful point.  His dramatic, almost operatic vocals contrast with the taught, contorted sound emanating from Whiskas amp.  A one man wall of all consuming guitar distortion, iForward Russia! are the only band of the night to truly bring the noise.  Innovative, razor edged guitar chops are given a percussive stomp by resident drummer, yelper and lil sis Katie as Tom writhes and wails. Unbridled, aggressive and immediate iForward Russia! could be our At the Drive In.  Except danceable.  Ish.  The crowd reciprocate by hurling non descript papers from the top deck and stage diving from all of 3ft.  Latecomers and barfly’s belatedly scurry - blissfully unaware they just missed an essential half hour.