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Gig Review

Howling Hearts Vs. Thee Memory Ache: Comet Gain and pals
London, Lexington

Article written by Ged M - Aug 10, 2011

Comet Gain

As if you were suffering from some musical malaise, along comes a double dose of Comet Gain – “Heartbreakers” (Sunday) and “Floorshakers” (Monday) - to perk up your flatulent indiepop constitution.

Rob Sekula from 14 Iced Bears kicks off the ‘Heartbreak’ evening with his first solo acoustic show ever. In truth, Rob Sekula is a lot better as a glass-half-full troubadour than as a glass-half-empty balladeer and it’s those perky Bears’ numbers that raise the spirits tonight.

Pete Astor

Pete Astor is inspired to relocate the chairs for him and Ben Philipson to the middle of the floor, demolishing that fourth wall between artist and audience that the stage creates. It’s a stroke of genius as it immediately makes every song a conversation that each audience member feels almost personally, whether it’s the banter about Alan McGee preceding the old Weather Prophets song ‘Joe Schmo and the Eskimo’ or his rather bizarre, confessional, fiction-inspired-by-fact tale of his landlady’s murder. It’s simple (two men with guitars, one singing) but strikingly brilliant.

Amor de Dias

Amor De Dias denounce themselves for being the “poncey” part of the evening, and then weave delightful, intricate figures on acoustic guitars, evoking cool pastoral scenes on a hot summer’s night in the city. ‘Bunhill Fields’ as ever stands out, slowed down and psyched up in its live form, and the whole set is sprinkled with dream-dust. Comet Gain on night one are elegantly wasted and maintain their flirtation with chaos, without ever tipping over the line. Tonight, they’re English romantics, but as they’ve made an art from combining punk and soul, the dividing line between “heartbreakers” and “floorshakers” isn’t that distinct and the brilliant new single ‘An Arcade From The Warm Rain That Falls’, which they play both nights, is both stomping pop and soulful punk.

Proper Ornaments

Monday’s gig is better attended but starts with a no show from Holy Shit so the first band on is Proper Ornaments, who include James Hoare from Veronica Falls and is that Koichi from Catcher Nine and Screaming Tea Party on bass? They’re one of the best new bands I’ve seen in ages, like a perfect storm that combines the Velvet Underground (the stunning and direct opening track) with West Coast rock, set off by the stunning harmonies between Hoare and Max Claps. They’re the next gen Comet Gain, and you really must catch them live. The Jasmine Minks were around when Proper Ornaments weren’t even a twitch in their daddies’ willies and after a slightly tentative start find their feet with some pounding 80s power-pop, culminating in the left-hook, right-hook brilliance of their early Creation singles ‘Think’ and ‘Where The Traffic Goes’.

Jasmine Minks

Comet Gain’s second night is where they focus on the upbeat songs, the ones where they turn outwards and invite pop culture onto the dancefloor. Albert Finney and Anna Karina flit past your eyes, you hear the murmur of Brautigan and Burroughs, and the air’s alive with the ghosts of the Action, the Kinks and the Fall. This is the richness of the Comet Gain catalogue as they dip into their Riot Grrl history (the first single) and speed forward to the present with ‘Herbert Huncke’ and the incendiary ‘Working Circle Explosive’. The band look unusually joyful and their songs sound more like manifestos again, statements that celebrate hopes, dreams and youth. It’s so good I’m reminded of years ago in the Arts Café and other sordid London venues where the Gain played with an unforced ease that made us hope for their elevation to, if not pop stardom, at least to to cult acclaim. That’s taking longer than anticipated but tonight their greatness is obvious.

All photos courtesy Uncle Bob Stuart at www.underexposed.org.uk

Links:
http://www.facebook.com/cometgain
http://www.myspace.com/thecometgain