23 January 2010 (gig)
29 January 2010
Race Horses are unlikely to escape comparisons with Super Furry Animals and Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci – being Welsh, a bit wild around the edges and full of playful experimentation – but what’s not to like about that? Belting out chirpy and peripatetic songs about scooters, cake, disloyal partners and "a family who go on a skiing holiday to... the mountains", Race Horses play like children in the toyshop of their own talent, freewheeling through genres from '60s beat, barbershop quartet and showtune-style tapdance drumbreaks to brief but fevered noise-attacks. The bewildering mix adds a kaleidoscopic, pleasingly Syd Barrett-esque quality to the music.
Fool’s Gold were next – an out-and-out party band, their infectious, hypnotic rhythms were like a whirlwind Latin/tropical holiday in the middle of Camden. Halfway through one song the band left the stage in a loose conga line, with the crowd singing along with them – frontman Luke Top stopping off to pick up a bottle of beer and tap out the rhythm with his booze. This is after drinking from a fan’s bottle of wine with another beer in his hand ('Shall I take a sip or pour it on my head? Just a sip?' Glug, glug, glug...).
Fenech-Soler headlined and were in razor-sharp contrast to FG’s rough-and-ready raucousness – slinking on stage, more '80s than the '80s ever were. Definitely one for the ladies – all gold lamé, white denim and larger-than-life male posing (Duran Duran would be a good reference point, as would Fashion is Danger by Flight of the Conchords). Big synths, big drum sounds, echoed yelping and lyrics like "we’ve got the eye of the tiger" abounded. The band inspired some great exaggerated dance moves from the crowd (lots of Tina Turner strutting) and a rich seam of funk cut through the glam-pop as the set progressed. The sound at the venue for each band was outstanding – and there was plenty of vintage soul and R&B from the Be Team DJs all evening (Be’s 3rd Birthday).
