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'Smirnoff Electric Cabaret' featuring Pete & The Pirates, ABC Glasgow

12/05/2008

First up, Reading’s Pete & The Pirates tore unapologetically through their Little Death LP. With an unassuming aesthetic (no skinny jeans or haircuts here), the band’s raw sound and unabashed energy came somewhat unexpected, but were that much more delicious as a result.     Followed by the more seasoned (and more skinny jean clad) Mystery Jets – themselves touring their “Twenty One” longplayer – there were more high-octane antics. No longer sporting the father-son combo with which they debuted (frontman Blaine’s father Henry now in a studio-only role), the Jets exuded a new-found dynamic; one characterised as much by charm as confidence.   Next up, New Yong Pony Club’s Ty leapt on stage donning a top seemingly made out of thousands of silver washers, the sort of attire you can only pull off with headline billing; something she and the band have been growing into for the past 12 months. Now a cosy fit, she soon had the crowd chanting to an arsenal of future classics.   Sandwiched between the bands was an intriguing mix of performers (human beatbox? Check. Hula girl? Check. Rock’n’roll trapeze double act?! Check) and some frankly bizarre goings on (man on stage paints portrait of Freddy Mercury upside down in the time it takes one Queen track to play). Such original episodes of tried and tested silliness (show me a man who doesn’t want to go home with an inflatable guitar?) gave far more than the recommended daily allowance of fun.    Wrapping things up were the unlikely turntable tag-team of Breastfed honcho Linus Loves and half of Maximo Park. Now, whilst the merging of warm, electro-tinged 4/4 and Northern indie-popsters might sound like a riddle (it did to this scribe), the reality was akin to everyone being invited to a “back-to-mine” DJ-off at Senor Smirnoff’s gaff. Magic. Words: Nick Morgan