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The Manhattan Love Suicides/ Irene/ The Trudy
London, Brixton Jamm
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Article
written by
Oct 16, 2007.
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"Remember Fun" is a C86 fanzine, a twee band and ought to be the theme of this Lostmusic Night. The Trudy are a happy band, behaving like teenagers while looking (in the nicest way) like they might have teenagers themselves. The elfin Melissa Jo Heathcote is the dynamic presence in the band but eyes stray to the fearsome bass player; in his outrageous outfit, he looks like Hagrid if Hagrid had taken sartorial advice from Hugh Hefner in the 70s. The Trudy's music is punky-powerpop, bubbling with traces of Blondie and Britpop and they combine songs from their 80s heyday with new tunes but maintain the same themes. As Melissa explains: "these songs are about broken hearts, broken hearts, broken hearts, bastards...and oral sex". They fire a couple of hot pop thunderbolts and there are some neat little indie guitar solos from a man in a zoot suit. Most heartening.
Sweden’s Irene bring a summer sound to warm our Autumn nights, playing a punchy and 60s-drenched soulful surfpop. They’re another band who seem pleased to be here, having just landed in Essex just hours before stage time. It’s all handclaps and heartwarming melodies, rushing keyboards, jangly guitars and clean bursts of brass – everyone’s ideal indie lineup but I have a question: does everyone in Sweden sound like Jonathan Richman or is he really a secret Swede? There are elements of the Smiths and Wedding Present, ‘Stardust’ is a shimmery summery highlight and they include a very cheeky U2 steal on 'Back to Back' while lyrically it’s girls and, well, girls. It’s pop, unconditional, unashamed, unself-conscious pop and they do it with tons of charm.
The Manhattan Love Suicides are the only ones not to look happy but that’s them using the patented Jesus and Mary Chain scowl, with singer Caroline spending much of the set with her back to the audience wearing a fine Jim Reid pout. If they could only provoke a North London Poly type riot, they’d be overjoyed! Their music is a barrage of fuzzed up noise with traces of melody peeking out from under the wall of sculpted sound just as Darren the guitarist peeks out from under a long fringe of spiky hair. You’re hearing Creation vs the Subway Organisation, the Shop Assistants mixing their DNA with My Bloody Valentine, the Velvet Underground blood-bonding with the Flatmates. The whole thing is a shock’n’awe experience, justifying their top billing and sending us merch-wards later to pick up more of this noise in a vinyl format.
(pictures by Trevor Lostmusic)
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