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Gig Review

Cloudberry Night: The Pains of Being Pure At Heart / Strawberry Story / Manhattan Love Suicides / The Hillfields
London, Buffalo Bar

Article written by Ged M - Mar 16, 2008

The Hillfields do things arseways-about. The singer looks gloomy and heartbroken during songs but he’s smiling and witty between them. They start with a song that sounds like the Go Betweens on Mogadon but then dive into some rowdy indiepop. Musically, they’re pure Spirit-of-C86 but they pull it off well. They’re worth watching, both for their matching darts shirts (I’d hoped they’d enter the stage to ‘Eye of the Tiger’) and the way the bassist wears his bass high, resting on his paunch, in a sort of reverse-Peter Hook.

The Manhattan Love Suicides were served by a timorous soundman but still managed to sound stunning. They’ve added a rhythm guitarist to bring out the melody within the feedback and it works well to balance the twee-pop and the fuzz-rock. Singer Caroline adds attitude by turning her back on the audience when she’s not singing or swigging lager, while the rest keep their heads down and beat out their Spectorish thrash-pop. If the soundbaby had been the equal of the band, this would have been a classic; as it is, it’s further evidence of a band you really have to see.

The uber-twee Strawberry Story were a sugary confection in the early 90s and their 2008 incarnation can’t be described as a diet version. They're now three baldy men from Darlington and a singer, Hayley, who has the hyperactive happiness of a Butlins Redcoat and a similar talent for ignoring adversity. Their set could have been sponsored by Tate and Lyle. It was indigestably demarara, especially their rendition of 'I Can Sing A Rainbow’, which might have worked only if Hayley were a teacher and we were all 4 year old bedwetters (indie-Balamory anyone?). They played at least 5 songs too many but they also, weirdly, played my favourite of the night. Every band has at least one good song in them and Strawberry Story have the magnificent, evocative indie of 'Ashlands Road' plus, in Hayley, they have a super trouper.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are the most charismatic players with the most anthemic sounds tonight. It’s sunshiney C86 pop with jangly guitars and a slightly fuzzy underbelly, coming across like early My Bloody Valentine meeting the Smiths. They brought out the moshers in the indiekid audience, every well-past-teenager showing their love for the band with shockingly unco-ordinated movements and passionate singing, especially to the “we are as one/ we will never die” extended run-out to ‘The Pains of Being Pure At Heart’. I haven’t seen this reaction in ages, and I for one rushed out and picked up the Paintbow EP afterwards. If they’d only make it over from Brooklyn more often, they’d be huge with the twee set.

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/thepainsofbeingpureatheart

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