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The Features / The Catweasels
Camden, Dublin Castle
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Article
written by Paul M
Oct 14, 2007.
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Both the Dublin Castle and the Club Fandango appear to have had re-thinks since my last visit. While the venue’s change satisfies my taste buds (three real ales now on tap rather than the usual endless choice of bland freezing fizzy lager), the promoters have come up with a novel twist on performance times. Instead of the usual headline acts appearing at some godforsaken hour, by which time us South Londoners are beginning to flinch at the prospect of vomit strewn night buses home, they come on early and the night finishes with the bill proppers. Whether this makes sound business sense or not I can’t possibly comment but it’s a welcome change on a school night.
It’s been a good while since Nashville’s The Features last popped over to Blighty and this flying visit is said to be purely in order to appear at an award’s ceremony (although rumours of a new UK label are also circulating). The relatively small turnout can be explained by the rushed and hushed nature of the publicity – a late mailout by the fan club and a tardy addition to the Club Fandango website was always going to restrict the numbers, along with the fact that the band have been quiet for a while. Those that do show up are relatively sober, which is perhaps not that surprising as it is only 8.15 when they come on. They overcome a few technical difficulties that see at least one song finish abruptly – maybe this is the downside of headliners coming on early – but overall it’s an impressive, if brief, set. Only a single handful of tracks from the first album (Exhibit A) are played, all trademark frothy keyboard powerpop, including the great pounding Cochran-esq ode to his daughter The Way It’s Meant To Be. These old songs act as bookends to the new material in the middle. More thoughtful, varied and measured than previous, there’s slightly less organ-led oomph about them. There are Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev influences here and there, a little Prince helium funk and a tad less frantic perspiration. I’m not yet sure if I’ll prefer them this way but as the band themselves say There’s a Million Way To Sing The Blues and few do it better than them.
The problem with early headliners is of course that there’s a temptation to give the other acts a miss and either go home early or join the gak bombed celebrity spotters in the Hawley Arms round the corner. On the strength of their frenetic art punk 7” debut offering I decide to give Chester-Le-Street’s The Catweasels a view. Mistake. James Jam of the NME is in the audience and he seems to be the only writer pushing this band at the present. I’m not suggesting he’s abusing his power or he’s allowing the fact that they are from the same neck of the woods as him to colour his judgement but the young scamps on the stage look like they could do with a few more months honing their talents in the local youth club before being unleashed elsewhere. The single still sounds ok but the rest is generic spiky indie fodder, like the Futureheads minus the harmonies and the singer’s shocking red hair can only be a warning to the Kidz that Sunny Delight is bad for you.
Of the two remaining acts… well, in years to come people will probably say “Oh did you see them, they were bottom of the bill for the Features in 2007 at the Castle but came on at 10.30 and were utterly awesome! I was literally the only person there by then and I knew they’d one day play Wembley Stadium supported by U2. Three years later, it’s come true!”. Or maybe they were shit, I don’t know, as I was on the tube then train home, snacking on a pig’s knuckle and then tucked up under a bear fur in my South London cave before 11pm… Who'd have thunk that.
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