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Friday 6th April 2012
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On Our iPod

Golden Grrrls - New Pop 7”

Chris Devotion & The Expectations - Amalgamation & Capital (album)

Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester (album)

Throwing Up - Mother Knows Best 7”

Howling Wolf - Complete Chess Masters 1951-60

The Ketamines - A Rotten Bond/1 Yr (from Oddbox Singles Club Pt 2)

Cardinal - Hymns (album)

Proper Ornaments - Taking the Gamble Out of Buying 12”

Darren Hayman - January Songs (album)

Various: Marshall Teller EP 12”

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Gig Review

Drugstore
ICA, London

Article written by Paul M - May 11, 2010

Drugstore

She may not legally be allowed to smoke on stage anymore and her booking agent may have warned her to drink only water and behave herself but Drugstore’s diminutive potty mouthed queen of feist Isabel Monteiro is at her very best when she’s swigging from a wine bottle and goading audience members as she is here tonight. Probably half-cut and definitely 100% kooky she makes up in personality and acerbic putdown what she lacks in inches. One fan oversteps the mark and after two or three pointless and rude heckled reminders to her that election day looms tomorrow – she crushes him to loud cheers with an expletive and a taunt that he’s just blown his chance of a shag later.

She has a Mark E Smith like grip on her band, both in the fragile nature of their employment contract and the on-stage control they must adhere to. The three main sidekicks are introduced as the cowboy, monkey and spaceman and are supplemented by a sombrero’d Mexican trumpeter (for a wonderful rendition of Say Hello) and keys and strings at other times. You’d never guess this was their first performance together though as they work their way through 90+ minutes of beautifully delivered dark pop. The golden oldies (Alive and Solitary Party Groover) bring cheers and there’s a Led Zep cover, Communication Breakdown which is amusingly dedicated to former Drugstore members (thankfully she didn't have time to mention them all by name). The new material including Black Holes and Broken Hearts and Lights Out sound good and uniquely Drugstore. However, it’s the classic El President with the cowboy ably performing the Thom Yorke vocals that brings a shiver down the spine.

Towards the end, and in her own time naturally, Isabel returns to the election theme and says that she can’t tell us how she’ll vote before delivering a very brief extract of “Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree”. Sadly the following day proves to be a lot more disappointing than tonight for Nick, her and us.

Thanks to Kev O for assistance and booze.

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