26/07/05 – The Cabaret (Nottingham)
So we’re at The Cabaret tonight. Why? You might ask. Well, tonight’s menu is slightly mouth-watering, with a chaotic start from one of Nottingham’s most flamboyant bands, Big Gay Following. Even though they’re line-up might seem unconventional, with two guitarists, absence of bass player, and a crazy drummer randomly screaming, BGF somehow make a sound that’s beautiful, energetic and hurtles into your brain like a burning runaway train.
The crashing drums are fast, furious and at times used complete, mind-blowing simplicity to keep the roaming guitarists on some sort of track.
The guitars make building emotion seem like building a Lego™ house. They mix and lock beautifully, switch
in and out of frequencies and float, before soaring into the zenith of emotion.
They may use some repetitive riffs, but it’s clear these guys turn up to rock-out in every sense, taking nothing seriously but their music, which falls into the cataclysms
of adversity, before rising to the pinnacle of perfection.
You feel every note, and these guys really put everything into their performance, playing their instruments like they wanted to break them. Towards the end, the drummer literally does,
smashing his bass drum off the stage and wandering round the crowd in a daze, hitting his snare until he breaks both sticks.
A progressive, beautiful, powerful, and wonderful mass of often disturbing noise.
Having heard a lot about this band already, we’re looking forward to seeing if The Starrlings live up to the hype, and GEE WHIZZ do they ever! (Sorry, Gaz insisted!)
Mixing powerful raw 70’s rock and roll, with a more melodic 90’s
indie, The Starrlings produce catchy, emotional and a defined brand of rock.
The two vocalists use some beautiful harmonies, and both have strong, tuneful voices, which carry the songs well.
The bass and drums are funky and drive the songs forward
with a hard edge. The great guitar riffs were combined with subtle, but inspiring solos and the keyboards add a sweet-sounding, chilled-out and trippy side.
The real thing that makes them stand out more than anything, is how tight, well performed,
and well thought-out the songs are.
Though The Starrlings’ sound isn’t the most original, it is catchy and powerful, and there aren’t many bands around playing this sort of retro style. With a variety of influence from The Rolling Stones to Ocean
Colour Scene, The Starrlings play popular rock, really…well.
And finally, the much awaited return of Menz Raya!!! For those who don’t know we got a bit of abuse for our last review of this cheese-mongering bunch of American shag arses and so we were looking forward to a few fights and some spit
in our faces!
As the crowd gather round and the mullets and dodgy flaired heroes of out-dated 80’s rock take the stage, we are exposed to the hottest beef and cheese musical hotpot in Nottingham, and its so full of flavour, it almost makes you
puke tears of joy out your staring eyes.
Menz Raya play with an abundance of confidence and with hard-muscled guitar and bass riffs mixed with over the top screaming solos, this bunch of posing, fun loving idiots, like to rock out with their cock
out (no matter how many young girls scream at them from the edge of the stage).
Menz Raya are all about the show and even though they are well performed and tight musically, the main focus is on proving their cheese rock status. Tonight they didn’t
quiet pull out the absurd and un-restrained antics we were used too but it still has enough cheese to feed the worlds starving.
With Michael Moore’s face plastered on the American flag and throwing free Dairyleainto the crowd, it keeps those groupies
filled up but just one question. WHERE WERE OUR FUCKING CRACKERS YOU BASTARDS?!?!?!? (budge).
Unedited
