The Next Big Thing

I HATE 4 band bills. Particularly when the perceived order is futzed with. So thinking that by arriving late, we would actually miss one of the others - it was a bastard to turn up at Tuts to find that The Vivians had been on first. So this meant having to endure two others that might, to quote that Calvin Harris guy, have been "acceptable in the Eighties" but tonight it's two dollups of grating bollocks. Two bands that pushed the running time back to mean that leaving the SohoDolls set during "Weekender" to catch the last train was the less than satisfactory result.

I don't like going to Tuts anymore. Haven't since they got rid of the big mirror at the bar area. However, the 'Dolls deserve better. They should have been on second to last because then people wouldn't have had to leave. They also wouldn't have to endure way inferior musical faffing. If the "Ribbed Music" album is a little too polished then catching the band live is the way to put flesh on those production bones. The band also look greats and Tony Sailor reminded me of the one and only Keith Streng, you know that's a big plus around here. The loudness provides the songs a visceral quality and in places it's like Jo Callis period Human League sculpted by Al Jourgensen. Maya Doll's vocals were crystal clear and the overall sound in general was amazing. There are obviously samples involved but who the fuck cares when it's as well delivered as this. I've seen some rather unkind dismissals of the album, obviously penned by people who wouldn't know a real, living, breathing, groovy ensemble if they fell across it. SohoDolls are a rare commodity in these piss-poor pop saturated times. So, no chance to hear "Stripper" as we make our way into the rain but I'm sure it would have brought the house down. No other group in the UK has come close to capturing the heady days of The Sweet or Mud to my mind in recent living memory.

If you're in Aberdeen tonight then head for The Tunnels, they're in Greenock(!) tomorrow (Thursday) so give the QE2 a bodyswerve and get down to Reds. There are shows all over the country, check their myspace. They have potential to burn in the old-fashioned biblical sense but is that enough in these ADD festooned times? Only time will tell...