Call Upon The Author

I’m not going to lie to you, it was 2030 when we got to the venue and it was already an interesting night. My friend was, by his own admission, wasted and was worried that he wouldn’t be let in. I did the whole ‘keep cool’ routine, and it worked, but only because I wasn’t so drunk and we did OK. We got inside and immiediately we got jumped by two women (one of which looked silky and sexual like Pixie Lott) but they both looked too young for me and all they wanted was my email address. After that I had to go an take a leak and on the way got harassed by a 30 year old lady who told me her husband was also called Matthew. Now, she wasn’t just talking to me but full on groping my arm and side and she just said she had a husband. Doesn’t take a genius to guess how quickly I got out of that.
Anyway, I’m here to talk about music. I was there, primarily, to check out the latest indie band to walk across the Call Upon The Author radar and cause some disturbance. They were a Tyneside group called Little Comets. One of those plaid-shirt wearing, scruffy haircut bands who all seem to play with their necks balanced on their guitars. The first twang of the telecaster starts off and I have no choice but to rifle through previous North-Eastern indie bands like Maximo Park for reference. We get to the second track and I decide that the “oh oh oh oh” vocal parts from the Futureheads version of “Hounds of Love” could fit neatly over every one of their numbers. There was a delicate side to the group though, the fourth song was a tremendous ballad of a modern-day love is war scenario. The only problem was the singularity that each song was cloaked with. They had great stage presence but this was no match for the fact that their single, and presumably the song they would want to promote the most, was hidden amongst the rest and no real identity for it was given. I don’t actually remember any of the songs being introduced. Oh well.
One group that did know how to do this were the Noisettes. Some-way through the set they hark back to memories of playing to 20 people at the Joiners, a distant vision when placed next to the sold-out room of screaming fans in front of them. We all pretty much know though that the majority are here for three songs max though. No one seems to remember the groups first effort, “What’s The Time Mr. Wolf” released to a wave of apathy a few years back, but the latest CD, “Wild Young Hearts” have not only proven them to do be skilled musicians but as chart breakers. And these are no throwaway songs either. They have clout beyond belief. “Don’t Upset The Rhythm” is still doing the dance hall rounds and has become a gigantic hit where as “Never Forget You” is an extremely powerful song filled with nostalgia and regret. The whole goddamn show is insanely good. They knock versions of those songs plus “Wild Young Hearts” and “Sometimes” with ease and passion before ending, blisteringly, with “Children of the Revolution”. Hats of to you ,Noisettes. Now, to get home with the drunk.