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Gig Review

Slow Down Tallahassee / Standard Fare / Bon Bon Club
The Harley, Sheffield

Article written by Matt H - Apr 21, 2009

Slow Down Tallahassee

On a Monday night in Sheffield when the students are away you’re never going to get that many, even at a free gig at a reliable venue and with such a cracking line up launching the new single on Thee SPC. Which is a loss to everyone that wasn’t there.

Remarkably the Bon Bon Club’s trick gets better with repetition. Line-up changes haven’t altered the stripped back template - leaden bass, stark drumming, deadpan vocals and a bit of no frills synth - all applied to series of cover versions, from the Cure’s Lullaby to Kings of Leon’s Sex on Fire. It’s deliberate, a bit posey and good fun.

If you were just to set out the basic elements of their jangling indie tunes, there’s a danger that you could give the impression that Standard Fare lived up to their moniker. But their songwriting is a cut above, both in the plaintive heartfelt melodies and the pathos in their lyrics. There’s an edge to this lot, an ability to make you stop, listen, come back and keep coming back that is encapsulated in Dancing - their contribution to the record being launched.

At last I get to see Slow Down Tallahassee without sound or venue problems, and they are as fabulous as they ought to be on the strength of their records. The harmonising is spot on, the synth and a beefed-up guitar really works to lift their nastily lovely girl-pop tunes to new heights. Mostly new tunes tonight, and they suggest that any new album that might be in the offing will do the job of living up to the wonder of the Beautiful Light. Some of these are a touch less bubblegum, more downbeat yet still glorious pop confections, with SDT’s trademark bitter centres. The two new songs on the single take real flight with Tricks in particular leaving you jauntily humming the refrain “telling lies, turning tricks, smoking cigarettes, sucking off dicks” all the way to the bus stop - not to mention singing “I am almost gone” as if it were a life-affirming mission statement, rather than the heartbreaking statement of defeat and dissolution that it really represents.

If there’s any justice, in a couple of years this ought to be one of those “I was there” nights, even for those that weren't. Fingers crossed.

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/slowdowntallahasseegirls
http://www.heychuck.com/theespc/index.html
http://www.myspace.com/standardfare