By the way, which one's Franz?
One of the odder things about footage of Joy Division is how well turned out they look compared to most punk bands. In fact, they appear to have come straight from school, in cheap shirts, straight ties and drainpipe trousers. The recent rehabilitation of flares has distressed me greatly, but one band of brave men is reviving not only the music but the haircuts of that golden age.
Yes, last night I saw Franz Ferdinand open the NME Awards Tour show at the Brixton Academy. They strutted on stage with the confidence of a band who've just been on Top Of The Pops, and disposed of 'Take Me Out' (the single that took them there) fourth in the set. This was less bold than it seemed because they only played seven songs; but this may have been a good call for a new band whose scratchy guitars were muffled by the usual murky sound. The best new band in Britain? Some songs were promisingly like Magazine, but it's hard to tell before hearing them clearly on tomorrow's album.
The Von Bondies were a lot of fun. They started with the stomping 'Lack Of Communication' so that we knew what to expect from their familiar grunge-blues. The only exception was 'No Sugar Mama' on which Jason and Marcie cheekily imitated Meg and Jack, repeating to each other 'Real lovin'...' For the last song ('It Came From Japan') they coaxed Franz Ferdinand back on stage to do their jerky Ian Curtis dancing.
After that interlude, it was back to art school with The Rapture, performing before a back-projection of television tuned to a dead channel. They provided the most varied entertainment of the night, swapping instruments and lying on the floor, which compensated for the repetition within individual songs. The sound was suspiciously crisper, benefiting their chiming guitars and keyboards as much as it would have benefited Franz Ferdinand's. Their singer has been accused of stealing Robert Smith's whine but his voice reminded me more of John Lydon in PiL.
Headliners were metallers Funeral For A Friend, who are ghastly, so we left. Waiting on the stairs, we were offered standing tickets by another pair who'd taken an executive decision to leave - and walking to the bus we passed an American yelling into his mobile, 'the last band SUCKS SO MUCH!' I hope the 13-year-olds left behind will see the light and cast away their flares.
Yes, last night I saw Franz Ferdinand open the NME Awards Tour show at the Brixton Academy. They strutted on stage with the confidence of a band who've just been on Top Of The Pops, and disposed of 'Take Me Out' (the single that took them there) fourth in the set. This was less bold than it seemed because they only played seven songs; but this may have been a good call for a new band whose scratchy guitars were muffled by the usual murky sound. The best new band in Britain? Some songs were promisingly like Magazine, but it's hard to tell before hearing them clearly on tomorrow's album.
The Von Bondies were a lot of fun. They started with the stomping 'Lack Of Communication' so that we knew what to expect from their familiar grunge-blues. The only exception was 'No Sugar Mama' on which Jason and Marcie cheekily imitated Meg and Jack, repeating to each other 'Real lovin'...' For the last song ('It Came From Japan') they coaxed Franz Ferdinand back on stage to do their jerky Ian Curtis dancing.
After that interlude, it was back to art school with The Rapture, performing before a back-projection of television tuned to a dead channel. They provided the most varied entertainment of the night, swapping instruments and lying on the floor, which compensated for the repetition within individual songs. The sound was suspiciously crisper, benefiting their chiming guitars and keyboards as much as it would have benefited Franz Ferdinand's. Their singer has been accused of stealing Robert Smith's whine but his voice reminded me more of John Lydon in PiL.
Headliners were metallers Funeral For A Friend, who are ghastly, so we left. Waiting on the stairs, we were offered standing tickets by another pair who'd taken an executive decision to leave - and walking to the bus we passed an American yelling into his mobile, 'the last band SUCKS SO MUCH!' I hope the 13-year-olds left behind will see the light and cast away their flares.