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| Misty's - The Main Attraction |
Tonight's gig is a dream line-up for anyone who loves bands with imaginative twists. One could even go as far as to describe it all as a dream. We could all wake up and find ourselves collapsed in the snow with the gig being just a mirage. You'll soon read why. The classic crowd formation of stand as far away as possible for the support act is sadly what Eric Rivera receives. He still does his best to get the cold faced crowd ready for some fun on this colder winter night. The venue soon warms up as he strums and whistles his way through his goofy country songs. He is much like a cartoon: enthusiastic and full of funny voices. He gives off a certain friendly charm that most people don't expect from one man and a guitar. They get it all the same and after each song he is met with applause and cheers. After all, sometimes it's the smaller things in life that can make all the difference. Take his songs for example: the choruses are whistles, he sings with an exaggerated American twang in his voice and the guitar never strays too far from chirpy chord progressions. It all makes for some great songs.
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| Eric Rivera Doing His Thang! |
Next on the line-up are local legends The Retro Spankees. You can almost sense a collective sigh of relief from the local music lovers in the crowd on behalf of them being back. I would dare to go as far as saying they are the best Northampton has to offer. They put on a jolly good show to accompany the jolly good songs resulting in a very jolly crowd. As soon as they bound up on stage you feel as though you are suddenly the live audience for a children's programme gone wrong in all the right ways. They each have an individual costume and they whip up a storm with their hyperactive noisy pop. That's The Retro Spankees in a nutshell. But put them in a nutshell at your peril because they always find new ways to surprise. Tonight sees them on top form with some new material alongside the old classics such as "Bye, Monster". To some, their double time romp of crashing drums, screams, shouts, keyboard bleeps and guitar jangles can be rather overwhelming. But don't ever try and fight it, go with the jittery, excitable flow of The Retro Spankees. It'll be one of the most thrilling things you'll hear. Can this gig possibly get any better? Yes sir!
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| The Retro Spankees. Enough said. |
Misty's Big Adventure grace The Labour Club with their presence, and most people attending seem to be fans. The rest will soon be by the end of their set. It's not difficult to see why, they are the thinking man's ska-pop band. They combine the thought provoking with catchy and exciting song structures. They make for a great listen, you can decipher the lyrics or enjoy the melodies or jump up and down with the blue and red guy with loads of hands. Or, like most people, you can do them all at the same time. Misty's Big Adventure have a sound of their very own, the songs have spirit and energy which make you feel happy. But listen too much to the lyrics and you may find yourself questioning all that you think is cool. They attack the state of music in "Fashion Parade" and Mickey Mouse's influence on pop culture in "Mickey Mouse". But they do it in a way that doesn't shove the messages down your throat, they do it in a satirical way that allows both band and audience to laugh and the terrible state of the world. It's refreshing to watch bands that have imagination not only within their music, but the live package that comes with it. Tonight has been a grand showcase of alternative music with a light hearted, thought provoking message. And what's more, it's been jolly good fun.
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| Eric Reading From His Wisdom Paper |
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| Spot The Blue Dude |
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| Casio VS Korg |
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| Well Up For It! |
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| I Want You! (To Shake My Hand) |
POWER CHORD LIVE RATING:
P P P P P
GIG HIGHLIGHT: When the man of many blue hands jumped into the crowd and proceeded to pogo with his new found fans.
BEST PERFORMED SONG OF THE NIGHT: "Bye, Monster" - The Retro Spankees
Want more from these bands? Visit:
http://www.mistysbigadventure.co.uk/
http://www.theretrospankees.com/
http://colognefactory.blogspot.com/
Written by Jack Parker for Power Chord Music Blog. Photography by Jack Parker.
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