Tuesday 17/06/03 Leroy, The Koreans, The Androids @ Barfly, Liverpool

Jesus, what is it about funk that makes people's skin crawl? New four-piece Leroy have clearly been studying James Brown's back catalogue to create their pop-tinged groove, and despite a disappointing similarity between most of the songs, they have a pretty fair stab at it. As a spectacle they're absolutely phenomenal: excitable singer John moves like an E'd-up Damon Albarn with a Justin Timberlake up his arse, even down to the brilliantly pointless megaphone and the tireless twitching (both on and off the stage...and on top of the fire exit).

Musically, they're semi-decent without ever being amazing, but they know how to write a catchy tune, and newie 'Hey Johnny' has the same sort of punky undertone that Blur trademarked on their brilliant Parklife album. Few bands ever display more than potential at the start, and if Leroy can lose the funk a little and build on their knack for catchy pop songs (not to mention their sense of showmanship), they could well develop into something special.

The Koreans, on the other hand, are already a very exciting prospect. Taking the best elements from forgotten Sheffielders the Longpigs, replacing squalling theatrics with a laconic Folk Implosion groove, stand-out track 'Do We Look Like We Give A ****?' towers over the majority of modern indie rock. Add this to the best abuse of a theremin this hack has ever seen and you already have a pretty classy performance, but they top it off with dual frontmen who barely sing a note unless they're harmonising (perfectly, in fact) with each other. If you've ever enjoyed any of the laid-back Americana available on City Slang and Matador records, you'll love these. Just to clear it up, though, they're from London. Not Korea. Liars!

But finally, and may we just say "****ing hell!", we have to endure The Androids. We've all heard their comedy punk-pop single 'Do It With Madonna' by now, right? So we're all set for an evening of novelty hell, right? Wheatus meets the even-worse Trucks, right? Right?

Erm, wrong, actually. Despite being lumped in with the latest crop of Blink 182 wannabes, and marketed as a sort of teenybopper punk act, the Australian quartet have more in common with the under-rated indie-centric rock of American Hi-Fi. They flit between the sort of strummed-out Byrds update pedalled by Teenage Fanclub and the laid-back cheery rock of the Foo Fighters' third album, and their frankly charming naivety (or is that naive charm?) endears them to an audience which has, in fairness, largely come to hear one song. They finally deliver their hit single to as rapturous a reception as you're likely to get from a half-full Barfly on a Tuesday night, although not before they've surprised us all with a set that is neither life-changing, nor essential, but still a lot of fun. And sometimes that'll do. As they finally leave the stage after a tongue-in-cheek stadium rock 'how long can they keep it up?' fretwank climax, it's clear that The Androids could well become more than just one-hit wonders, but only if the record company gets its arse in gear and markets them right. They have a brilliant name and some good songs - now LEAVE THE COMEDY NUMBERS TO B-SIDES. Right?

Pictures by Maddy Bell :: mads.bell@gigwise.com