Monday 03/07/06 The Pipettes, 1990s @ King’s College, London

For all their bluster, Brighton trio The Pipettes could one day make a fortune in spin-off fitness videos, such is the infectious sight of lobster-coloured men mimicking their onstage synchronised dancing heroics in a stiflingly hot confined space on a sticky July evening. A shimmy of the arse here, a simultaneous wiggling of arms there, and The Pipettes girls are transformed into a six-legged, polka dot clad sea creature imploring you to forget about third world famine, North Korea’s recent attempt at a firework display and the latest single by Nickelback for five minutes, take a breather, and focus on the musical equivalent of bathing in candy floss.

More of the Ronettes obsessed trio later. Glasgow trio 1990s amble on stage to what Gigwise detects is a certain nonchalant respect from the King’s College crowd. Signed to Rough Trade after two gigs, their name is something of a misnomer, for it’s firmly 1974 in the world of singer and guitarist Jackie McKeown, drummer Michael McGaughrin and bassist James McMorrow. Coming on like a young Supergrass, debut 45 'You Made Me Like It' is raw unrestrained teenage lust full of vim and vigour. A raging bag of uncontrollable hormones of a song, it has the type of cheekiness that makes pinching your mate’s girlfriend’s arse seem like a good idea. The trick is repeated on ‘Enjoying Myself’ and ‘Arcade/Precinct’s’ ballsy workaholic guitars and harmonised vocals.

Next single, ‘You’re Supposed To Be My Friend’ could have been written by The Buzzcocks, had Pete Shelley grown up on a Glaswegian diet of Irn Bru and battered pizza. The lads give the game away when they segue into ‘I Fought The Law’ however. As statements of intent go it’s a bold one, albeit misguided. Gigwise starts remembering Colin Farrell’s awful cover version rather than the original. It’s best sung in a London accent. The 1990s are best when they sing in theirs.  

The Pipettes have tonight chosen Johnny Cash’s ‘Walk The Line’ to announce their arrival onstage. They are flanked by backup quartet The Cassettes, who, clad in college tank tops are dead ringers for Happy Days extras. Chief Pipettes Becki, Rose and Gwenno shuffle to the front, dressed in identikit black and white polka dot skirts, shiny red shoes and matching neck scarves. “Stop! We’re gonna sing you a song,” they trill at the beginning of set opener ‘ABC’. They’re deadly serious too.

It’s the only thing they’re remotely serious about it turns out. If tweeness, post irony, kitsch and burlesque isn’t your limited edition Le Tigre handbag, then The Pipettes will grate quickly. Staying true to pop sensibilities, ‘Why Did You Stay’ is like a forgotten Supremes track, its nagging refrain, “I’ve just about had enough of your sweets,” is accompanied by wagging fingers and a delivery straight out of a Shelagh Delaney kitchen sink drama.

The heartless ‘Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me’ slides into the helter skelter psych pop of ‘Because It’s Not Love (But It’s Still A Feeling)’, and ‘I Love You.’ It’s mystifying how three such beguiling personalities encounter boy trouble at all. With the latter trailing in at under two-minutes, they’re not in love for long. ‘Dirty Mind’ shows off their penchant for throwaway pop.  However, The Pipettes range extends to afro beat, ska, riot grll, doo wop and about everywhere else in between. Their true passion is for Phil Spector, The Ronettes and The Shangri-Las. ‘Tell Me What You Want’ and latest single ‘Pull Shapes’ are hilarious in their delivery and show they could transcend the indie ghetto.

Rounding off the set with Banana Splits homage 'We Are The Pipettes', and their finest song to date, ‘I Like A (School) Boy In Uniform’, The Pipettes triumph in being lost in their own self -contained world. It’s a world where money is saved for buying panda pops at the school disco, spare time is used writing love notes to the teacher, and Saturday mornings are wasted hunting down dusty Shangri-Las vinyl in Help The Aged. They are The Pipettes. How could they be anybody else?