Photo:
Which Kate is it they are particular fans of? Kate Bush perhaps? Fans of Kate definitely have that slightly kooky thing about them. No. Could it be Kate Hudson, daughter of Goldie Hawn? They certainly have that New York sound she might groove to. No. It is more likely to be Kate Thornton, former Smash Hits editor, now presenter of the hit show 'X-Factor'. They certainly have the songs catchy enough so she might hear about them, so we will go with that. Yes, so we are agreed. Good. Tonight its Devo-lite for you and me, but instead of overalls FOC wear the garments considered 'now' and 'hip' and that's the kind of thing that will get them splattered all over FACE magazine, which is probably the target audience they are aiming for. It's an enjoyable experience watching them tonight though, as throwaway pop songs in a Cure-esque manner is surely what makes the world go around, no?
Dogs Die in Hot Cars are one of those bands designed to provoke comparisons. It would be easier to write about them if the band lived up to the name of their album 'Please Describe Yourself' and gave us some clues. Instead we are destined to use the lazy music journalism technique of comparing them to
two different bands to try and put you in the picture. For instance, tonight at The Garage, packed to the rafters with kids in faded Franz Ferdinand t-shirts; Dogs Die In Hot Cars sound like XTC fronted by The Proclaimers. That is probably the most accurate comparison this gigwise writer can think of as one of the aforementioned Franz Ferdinand fans violently elbows her way through the crowed to get a better look at tonight's main protagonist Craig Macintosh.
Craig (who was electrocuted onstage last year) could almost be considered good looking if it wasn't for the fact he looks slightly like Stuart Cable's little brother with an even more obvious accent and even curlier hair. The crowd doesn't hold this against him though as he launches into the first line of the song that brought them to the world, 'I Love You (Cause I have to)'. This song makes them sound like Madness fronted by The Proclaimers, with its ska-based shenanigans. If they walked off at this point it would have still been worth the money to see guitarist Gary Smith, (who was knocked down by a car last year) bouncing around onstage like the living reincarnation of Zebedee from the Magic Roundabout. People who didn't think
they even knew the words, sing along to every line with enough gusto to raise the very low roof, but starting with your best song can lead to an anti-climax cant it?
The prophecy is fulfilled 30 seconds later with the weaker 'I Love Lucy', sounding like something Kevin Rowland would roll in his grave about - if he wasn't in fact alive and well and fronting the newly reformed Dexy's Midnight Runners! The band introduce 'Godhopping' their words and the PA system is drowned out by the cheers of everyone within earshot. It's a song that sounds like that pinball tune from Sesame Street, you know, the one that goes '1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10...11,12' but the only Muppets here tonight are the ones who didn't get in to this sold out XFM show. That cringeworthy pun was brought to you by the letters S-U-C-K-E-R-S. Potential hits come thick and fast as we are blessed with most of the album's tracklist and reminded just how good it really is.
Taking this into consideration, it is bizarre they choose to end on 'Paul Newman Eyes' as it does not really have the necessary pizzazz to be the send off song they deserve. It limps along, threatening to become a fully developed chorus, but never quite reaches that sweet spot. DDIHC may have just had their set list upside down tonight, but regardless, they emerge triumphant and show the potential to truly be one of the great bands of 2005. If they don't, then it doesn't really matter as from the response the fans gave them this evening, they won't be heading back to the murky depths of St. Andrews Jobcentre just yet.
