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There's one real question that has to be raised about the Hokum Clones' presence tonight. Specifically, that is 'who the fuck booked them for this gig?' Not only an anomaly amongst the psychedelic tendencies of the following acts, there's also something kind of … well, shit about them that doesn't match up with the rest of their Bandwagon peers. The similarities between them and the likes of Tramp Attack or The Coral are plain to see, but this is infused with a weedy sub-Dylan folk that somehow makes for an utterly, utterly dreary performance. Furthermore, this comes without a trace of a Theme From Tramp Attack or a Dreaming Of You … a Good Tune, in other words. No doubt desperate to emerge from the shadows of their friends' bands, this damningly dull duo have a long way to go before that's likely to happen.
Not so The Bandits, however, whose way with guitar-driven groovadelia owes as much to the drone-rock of The Velvet Underground and Gram Parsons' bittersweet country rock as it does to Arthur Lee. Jerry Ahern once observed that America isn't a geographical location, it's a concept, and one that Liverpool's second favourite oddball six-piece are very much familiar with. Whilst the Hokum Clones plod on with weary trad acoustica, and The Coral lead the way in terms of jaunty pop genius with pirate fixations, The Bandits seem to be ploughing their own furrow at the minute. They remain the driving force behind the Bandwagon, rather than the leaders of the pack, but who knows, if they manage to put all their myriad influences into a truly great song, they may yet surprise us. It's far from unlikely.
With a large crowd of locals, most of whom have come to see the region's rising stars, it's kind of easy to forget that The Polyphonic Spree are meant to be the evening's headliners. Until they arrive onstage, that is. From the sumptuous orchestral swell of the music to the sight of their blissed-out choir giving it all they have in every conceivable way, the Spree are easily the most uplifting act of recent times. Both hit singles (a pounding Soldier Girl and their unbelievably stirring anthem Light And Day) are lapped up by an audience determined to have a good time. And then there's frontman Tim DeLaughter. He bounds around throughout, his expression a permanently radiant beam, and under his guidance, the band seems to feed off this almost supernatural energy.
You get the feeling he's planned this all along, of course. His previous band Tripping Daisy made a similar sound, albeit with less people (how many are actually in this band anyway?), and both their extravagant stage shows and his instinct for a lush melody are still present. Their new Disney contract seems a logical chapter in the story, particularly as The Polyphonic Spree sound is essentially Mercury Rev playing Disney soundtracks. Not everyone agrees, however. Several people, leaving early, are heard to mutter, "what's the big deal?" And that, one suspects, is the problem. You either get it or you don't.
Apparently the encore includes a stunning rendition of David Bowie's Five Years, although we've left by this time. We're too busy spreading the new gospel. For those of you who didn't get it, fair enough. And for those who doubt that one band's stage show can really be that good or that uplifting, fair enough as well. If you were there, you've heard, you've seen, you know. But blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. Go and spread the word.
Photos by Shelly Turner :: shelly@gigwise.com
