19 November 2009 (gig)
22 November 2009
Some time back, I received a demo from London based band The Voodoo Pins, together with a promo flyer that listed various tracks: ‘Slug In My Mug’, ‘Favourite Nasty Habit’ and the rather predictably titled ‘Voodoo Doll’ to name but a few.
“If the music is as intriguing as the songs titles, I’m in for a treat” were the very thoughts of this reviewer. Unfortunately and even by rough-cut demo standards, the sound quality was so poor that it was difficult to make out much at all. After several unsuccessful attempts to decipher the screeching sound, one particular anthem, namely AC/DC’s ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top If Ya Wanna Rock…’ came to mind.
Several months and live performances later, the story is an altogether different one. Not only has the sound improved considerably, but also, the Voodoo Pins visual style is slowly but surely coming into its own. An increasing number of gigs are proof that the Pins are well received and in demand by their audience, and rightly so. Imagine some early Velvets combined with the punk-camp sound of The Cramps or the punk-blues sound of Gun Club, and you get the idea. It’s no coincidence that Voodoo Pins frontman Charlie Cockroach strikes an arresting figure, his psychobilly-style shirts complimenting his slicked back dark hair and a face that exudes know-how of life’s edgier things.
It wasn’t any different at The Gaff last Thursday. The Voodoo Pins went straight into action with ‘Nasty Habit’ and continued the set with ‘Roach Hotel’. The aforementioned ‘Slug In The Mug’ got the crowd going, not least because of its hilarious title. The Cockroach was supported by his other Pins - Kal Kamikaze on guitar, Chrissy Wiplash on bass and last but not least Colin Carnivore on drums. Throughout their set, Kal stood aside in stoic pose, her face hidden behind her trademark gigantic fringe and wearing a cutsie 50’s style dress with red-on-white floral pattern. In contrast to Kal’s black mane, Chrissy had her blonde hair in a quiff but sporting the same dress, albeit slightly different in style. While Chrissy and Colin’s playing are clearly in harmony with Charlie’s sharp yet emotional singing, Kal not only seemed to stand but also play in a world of her own, her guitar riffs and whole posture oozing a certain amount of nihilism. At the same time, this peculiar on-stage detachment perfectly complimented the Voodoo Pins dynamic and raw sound. Other songs included ‘Freak In My Bed’ and ‘Lizard On A Drip’ and at times if felt as if Charlie paid his own psychedelic and lyrical homage to the masters of the beatnik generation. Expect to hear and see much more of the Voodoo Pins in the future, and feel free to share their world by adding them on MySpace.
