Eighties throwback carnival

Stellastarr* at the Metro club, Tottenham Court Road
29th November 2005

This one was definately a bit of a challenge- a challenge to get my head around as I really didn't know much about the band when I signed up for it. They were sold to me as 'what the Killers were aiming at' which sought of sounded ok, so I waded in, helped out by the fact that it was a smallish venue and in the right price bracket, at the right time.

But hey, it all worked out ok and it turned out I HAD been to the Metro years before; when I was still wearing my frumpy librarian garb, and feeling very self-conscious and out of place-y (we didn't go to see a band, just a club night, which I've never been very good at).

If you havn't been there before, the decor is amazingly womb-like; blood red walls with a cavernous, subterranean vibe. Agent Cooper would NOT be out of place here; indeed I half-expected the barman to start talking backwards, for the kitchen to start serving cherry pie, and for time to have stood perfectly still when we emerged after the evening's proceedings.

In fact time did not stand still, and the music was good to very good, in GSG's humble opinion.* I thought maybe there was an aspect of 'hey, we're too good for this dive really' about the band, but I could have been imagining that. They seemed likable enough, and well, quite pretty in the arty, mannered way which is par for the course these days (more eyeliner anyone?).

Still the band's sound references lots of eighties bands I used to like- most pleasingly The Cure, Joy Division and Blondie, and I particularly loved the final footstomping rendition of 'my coco-co' which got me jumping up and down ( with arms crossed however). I think they need to focus on what segment of the Indie market they really want to attract- are they Interpol or Hot Hot Heat? The Kaisers or The Editors? Moody and ponderous, or quirky and boistorous (because THEY are the choices). But overall, they are a band I'd like to see again. I wouldn't pay much more than a tenner for the privelage though. Sorry (to all diehard fans).

* All opinions in this blog should be considered suspect due to the author's predilection for gin