Horrorpops, H-Block, Mr Coffee.. heck yes.

Finally got time to get near a computer.

The Horrorpops show on Friday night was brilliant.  We got there just after 9, expecting the place to be near empty for the opening band but instead finding it already packed.  The first band (whose name i forget, and can't find in the paper) weren't bad, hard rock with a perhaps a dash of '80s metal (some bits reminded us a little of the Dead Things without the glamour).  With so much hard rock about at the moment, it all seems to blur, but they were enjoyable for the few songs we caught.

Next up were Mr Coffee, my favourite heavy metal ska band.  The first song or two was a little rough, but once they settled into it they kicked arse.  I'd decided i didn't want to stand aroung like a statue all night, or like some goth or something, so it was time for a bit of a dance and sing-along and finger-point.  During the set, i remembered it was Mr Coffee who, a few years back, convinced me i actually liked ska after years of hating it (actually, Mr Coffee convinced me i liked it as long as it had thrashy guitars and then the same night Commissioner Gordon showed i could like it without as well), which in turn made me think i might also like other things that hadn't grabbed me before, like maybe rockabilly and swing.  But that's another tale. 

H-Block were next on the bill, and it was good to see them again. There was a time i used to see them every chance i got, but fell out of the habit due to the 'maybe next week' factor when they were playing every other week and then when a lot of their new album didn't grab me. But Friday night they were in good form, played a selection of some of their best songs and really took me back. I had thought they were an odd choice of support when i first heard, but their Clash and Jam lovin' punk rock was actually a nice complement to the other sounds of the night, and gave a good all-round spread of styles. Must make a point of seeing them more often, instead of just saying all the time that i must make a point of seeing them more often (same goes for Mr Coffee).

The Horrorpops took the stage to a huge roar and a crushing surge from the crowd.  I'd been playing the hell out of their cd for the last year after coming across it by accident in a second hand store, and hoped that i'd love the live show as much.  They didn't disappoint.  It was all over the the top melodrama, with sassy go-go dancers, sneers, corny call-backs and "hell yeah"s and "i can't hear you"s (thankfully not in the fake Paul Stanley voice that usually goes with that, though she did sound very American for a Danish chick).  It would all have been a bit corny and cliched, in fact it was corny and cliched, but that's exactly what suited the image and music perfectly and i was more than happy to lose myself in it all and play along.  Patricia was all attitude and "you know you love me" sneer, but more in a fun way than egotistical (though i did have to try hard to put Josie Parelli from 'Chartbusting '80s' out of my head) and played the crowd well.  And of course the music was tight as, the mix of rockabilly, bubblegum, pop-punk and even a bit of ska working perfectly, though i don't quite get the finer distinctions ("this is our only rockabilly song..", "this is our only psychobilly song.." etc) but what does it matter?  Actually, they were probably taking the piss, now i think about it.  Despite having a new album coming out, they played only one new song so it was all everyone's favourites from the first cd, which is nothing to complain about.  Must have made for a short set, but i didn't notice at the time.  Maybe i was just having too much fun thrashing about, making a dick of myself hand waving and heckling like a nineteen year old, and being taken back in time by the the crushing heat of sweat-soaked bodies, the singing graze of elbows in the ribs, shoulders and back and flowing with the surging tides of the crowd (not to mention the final cover of Billy Idol's 'Rebel Yell' to really make me feel like a teenager. Yes, i did fist the air. What of it?).

I keep thinking i should find a downside to mention, but to be honest i can't think of any, except maybe how crowded it was.  Why put a band with that many fans on at the Evelyn?  Maybe the Corner would have been a better size.  And where did they get such a following anyway?  I've never heard them on radio or tv, and i only found them by accident (the cover photo and horror font grabbing my eye while killing time in Dixon's).  Ah well, nothing new there - i always think i'm the only person in the world to discover something, only to realise i'm just catching up with everyone else.  But if it lets me get to enjoy shows like that, show me to that sheep run.

Oh, and the crowd were gourgeous as.  What a lovely mix of punks, goths, rockers, psychos, skins.. (shit, i nearly started channelling Rik Mayall there).  These are a few of my favourite things indeed.

Okay, better go see what you have all been doing.