Why does hype so often supersede talent? And at what point will people stop listening to said hype and listen instead to what they're actually hearing? Tonight is an interesting experiment in human nature - and just how much bullshit we're happy to believe. It’s a gig that, by its end, forces any objective observer to ask exactly those two questions, as two of the most hotly tipped bands du jour head up this crammed Levi's Ones To Watch showcase.
Always one to pull a crowd, the LOTW nights brings together four new bands, this time in the dark, crammed shoebox of the Camden Barfly. Of course, the stage upstairs isn’t packed from the very beginning – there’s important drinking to be down first in the bar below. Which is a shame for New Zealand’s Collapsing Cities, whose slightly quirky, poppy post-punk (post-pop-punk, anyone?) deserves a bigger audience than the one they have. Still, they’re spending a lot of time in the UK over the next few months, so there’re plenty of opportunities to see them.
Leicester youngsters The Displacements – whose average age is about three - are a tight and enjoyable trip back through English musical heritage (with the occasional American group thrown in). Their jangly indie-pop is rooted in a very English past – think bowler hats, waistcoats and canes – and they pull it off with both style and confidence. They may need a couple more years to properly grow, develop and find their own, truly unique sound, but it’s quite possible these guys will grow into something very exciting.Brooklyn’s A Place To Bury Strangers have had a few more years to do to that – and it’s worked. They're everywhere at the moment – on the screen of every blogger while simultaneously strewn across the pages of the mainstream press – and it shows. The Barfly is packed out for their set. Serious and introspective yet infused with a noisy belligerence, they make one hell of a racket, filling the room with a buzzsaw feedback and a robotic, Ian Curtis-inspired sense of doom and gloom. And they’re good. Perhaps not as amazing as everyone seems to be proclaiming, but they’re worthy – if not of the hype, then certainly of the attention.
Late Of The Pier, on the other hand, are nothing more than a badly told, unfunny joke. Bands like The Darkness and Goldie Lookin’ Chain – and, for that matter, the whole nu-rave phenomenon – should really have proved that there’s little place in music for post-modern, self-aware irony, but this seems to have escaped the notice of this four-piece. They come from Nottingham, but may as well be from Shoreditch. For a start, they look fucking ridiculous in that kitsch, American Apparel, metallic-neon-nylon way, which would be almost forgivable if their music was any good. It’s not. It’s the biggest pile of wank since Does It Offend You, Yeah? emerged with their delusions of talent – soulless, emotionless, synth-led drivel devoid of any merit whatsoever and which says nothing interesting, does nothing new and, live, is embarrassing at best. Yet – of course – they’re signed to major label and they’re surrounded by hype which, judging by the reaction of those here, people are buying into. Which raises those questions at the very top of this page. And there are no good answers.
It’s a shame, because there were three bands with genuine talent – albeit of slightly varying degrees – who were worthy of the titular Ones To Watch tag. Late Of The Pier, however, didn’t deserve to be in the same room as any of them, let alone lead the procession.
oh mischa
how i heart thee (even...especially...if yr a guy and thats a psuedonym)
*hate
he is real
and hot
Nice review.
Straight to the point.
thanks
i try
Well buff
Good review - I think Late Of The Pier did that '...Bears' song? I saw it on 120 Minutes and remember waiting 'til the end so I could see who it was and avoid at all costs.
2/10
Really, bit harsh...
Saying late of the pier are rubbish
is ludicrous.
^this
Went to see them last night and it was great.
Jordan..
you'll be pleased to hear he is a guy...!
He worked for the first ever publication i took pics for (our student paper!)
you haven't really
justified the final mark for Lotp. It's all well and fair to make yourself out to be infinitely superior by not falling into the same pitfall hype as everyone else. But you don't seem to have any specific criticism as to why they're so terrible. I'm not really much of a Lotp fan but I think you should elaborate a bit more.
well
lotp > the displacements
as are most bands. the displacements are just another pigeon detectives types but even worse
I think the Does it Offend You Yeah?
Comparison is pretty crap, LOTP have so much more going on in their songs. The fact that you give Displacements 7/10 says it all really though.
There is something rather
bandwagonesque (and I ain't talking Teenage Fanclub) about them though isn't there.
about LOTP?
A Nu-rave bandwagon? I don't think thats fair since they were going before that whole falsity was invented. Plus they're far more original than most of the bands that were lumped into that scene.
Their earliest demos
sounded like a poor man's Killers. Then when the whole Klaxons thing took off their sound miraculously "evolved" in a similar vein. I remember seeing them about 18 months ago (may have been supporting Good Shoes?) when the hype was first building up and still not understanding what all the fuss was about. There are many better bands from that part of the world not getting half the recognition LotP get purely because they are not as marketable aesthetically.
I don't see that at all!
I think you'll find that a lot of the songs that they are still playing are as old as those demos.
I'm not denying that they fit in well right now, that has certainly helped them get signed etc. Hardly their fault though?
Hmmm
depends how cynical you want to be doesn't it?
poor man's Killers though?
that's a bit off the mark in my opinion.
But I can see where you're coming from with them being a bit bandwagonesque.
Correct
The Displacements are really bad..
Late of the Pier on the other hand, whilst not entirely my thing, were pretty ace when I saw them.
the displacements
are terrible. Some how they keep turning up supporting good bands :(
^
this
they pretty much put me to sleep at this barfly gig, they were really really aweful.
The Bears Are Coming
is about the best thing i've heard in ages and this review angers me so. Which I suppose is part of the point, I'd rather that than go meh at the constant 7/10s, but, in conclusion, wrong.
yeah
not a great review. fine to have a strong opinion, but not offering any justification really apart from the inevitable "klaxons/dioyy?" mention. is that a bad thing?
sld have left before lotp - clear negative opinion was made before watching. poor
honestly...
...the only opinion formed before seeing the band was that i wasn't overly keen on what i'd heard of their recorded stuff. but i went with an open mind and was greatly underwhelmed - insulted, even. because there are so many great bands who put their hearts and souls and lives into music and get nowhere, whereas crap like this thrives. it's not their fault - it's the vicious nature of the music industry - but that doesn't make them any better. and sure, i could elaborate and expand - about their arrogant but underwhelming stage presence, about their atrocious lyrics, about the drawling, dreadful vocal stylings, the emotional detachment from everything they're playing. they've got a few catchy hooks here and there. that's hardly art.
fair
play - see where your coming from now - agree their stage presence will lose them more friends than win
Come on Adam
You've spent the best part of five years struggling in different bands in and around the same city as these. Are you honestly telling me this is the best Nottingham has had to offer over this period of time because if you are then you need a new set of ears as well as a new football team to support!
I've only seen them live once
at Dot To Dot whenever and I enjoyed them, but I can't comment much further than that about anything other than the three singles, which I have loved.
I'm not saying that they're the regions best by any stretch, but I'm not sure who I think are, but am I excited by the prospect of their album? Actually, quite a bit yes.
Jesus
;;
oh i'm half expecting
it to be toss, cause These New Puritans already came good for me and its unusual that more than one band I initially like per year ends up being genuinely any good, but I think Alkan will do a good job with them.
That said, I've no knowledge of what pricks they might be or how they are live at the moment.
I just think they're one
of the worst cases of style over substance I've seen in a long while.
I understand your viewpoint
but that said I do love The Bears Are Coming and Bathroom Gurgle. They have the benefit of MY doubt until the album 'drops' as it were.
Bathroom Gurgle
has to be the single of last year too. Puzzling review.
As people, Late of the Pier annoy me...
...so I find it difficult to comment on the music honestly.
the last time i saw them
they were arrogant pricks who had a go at the soundman for no apparent reason. the lead singer couldnt actually sing, so when the falsetto came in 'Bathroom Gurgle' it was painful.
they are pretty piss poor, and relying on 2 catchy songs.
Spot on about A Place To Bury Strangers
I saw them last night and there is very little to them at all. Just a bit of noise and thrash, and no tunes worth commenting on. Most disappointing.
As for Late Of The Pier - it may not be their fault, and they may have been there first - but they've been left behind.
This review
of Late of the Pier is little more than a spiteful rant, which tells us very little about the gig (and swearing doesn't strengthen an argument). For those who weren't there, they played a brilliant set, the audience loved every minute of it (which Mischa appears to concede) and the band looked to be having a great time too. There are other reviews of this gig on the internet which back this up. The reason they're getting hype and are signed to a major is because they are an exciting and original band who combine intelligent music with raw energy. They also show a sense of humour but are in no way anything like The Darkness or GLC, it's more that they refuse to be constrained by convention. The main criticisms seem to be of their dress and their use of electronics so my view is, if you like synth led music played by people not wearing drab dark clothing perhaps you'll like LotP.
the only spite
i have for this band is that there are so many others out there who are so much much better.
but fine - let's counter-act this. it's all well and fine to say they're exciting and original. but why? all i hear are derivative 80s synths, anaemic tunes, subjectless lyrics. i think the reason they're signed to a major is more to do with the zeitgeist and the current musical climate than anything else. they're guaranteed money earners, that's it. which is about as conventional as it gets...
I disagree
with each and every point you've made but I hope they prove you right by becoming as successful as you fear. I look forward to your next review but doubt that our musical tastes will ever coincide.
What bands
do the same thing and are better?
The two I mentioned earlier
for starters: Klaxons and The Killers.
I don't see the Killers thing at all,
just cause they use synths?
No
Because their music is clearly retro 80s revivalism nonsense only minus anything resembling a tune.
Well this arguments pointless
we clearly have different views that aren't gonna change.
but
your wrong...
Fact no. 1
Mr Curtains...
I'm never wrong, and certainly not where these scenesters are concerned.
hopefully none
do the same thing! joking aside, personally, i'd say the faint and communique are two bands who - while obviously not sounding exactly the same - do a similar thing musically with integrity and intelligence and without the attitude (and with better songs).
I have only
just read this, but I agree about the LOTP comments, sadly - I've seen them a good few times, and everytime I've left with a distinct empty feeling, wondering why on earth they're getting to such a high level. They IS something there, somewhere, but its buried beneath already-tired current-isms that are tedious and overegged. HMMMMM indeed.
LOTP
are an aural abomination
and they look like fucking twats also
LOTP
I don't think there awful. Just not worthy of all the hype there getting. Really don't get it.
I don't trust LOTP
They're far too trendy for my liking and fit all too easily into magazines like that free Vice one.
BUT I do like some of their tunes like Bathroom gurgle.
Pretentious, of the moment ear candy they might be. But intriguing nonetheless...
Fucked up lineup that
couple of good bands in it though
210
late of the pier
yeah... the review didn't properly justify why late of the pier were bad. its extremely easy when a band has hype to demote them immediately, but the reasoning here was pretty ridiculous, 'they might as well be from shoreditch'. Who gives a fuck.
i think they're one of the few bands that are genuinely experimenting and essentially 'pushing' music forward, when so much has been done and music is just repeating itself nowadays, when i heard 'focker' (which is the AA to space in the woods), it was fucking amazing, and more importantly, i had heard nothing like it. originality is fucking hard to find, i think they've got it. ignore the clothes. ignore parlophone. just listen to their record. they probably missed the mark on this gig, which is a shame... but i think when people hear the album, they will forgive late of the pier for one shit gig at the horrrrrrible camden barfly
xxx