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Art Brut, The Others & Special Needs

added 05 May 2004 at 11.53

In another night of future music for London, John Kennedy presents pop terrorists Art Brut, plus The Others and Special Needs.

Hit the links for the full setlists...

Art Brut 'X-posure Live' [Dial-Up] [Broadband]

The gleefully anarchic Art Brut are a sharp-suited five piece who came together after a series of 'weird and wonderful coincidences'. Arriving three crucial months after Franz Ferdinand stormed the charts should mean they've got their work cut out but in truth they're very much Tracy Emin to Franz's Jackson Pollack. It also helps that frontman Eddie Argos is a natural born showman - 'Bang Bang Rock 'n' Roll' is literally the sound of one man chastising an entire musical genre and even 'Theseanimalmenswear' - a pretty cheap shot at two of Britpop's easiest targets - is redeemed by his very personal fury; 'Change your name!It's a cliche!/You're shit!'

'Modern Art' is clearly destined to be their signature tune, coming over like Phil Daniel's 'Parklife' monologue if Phil had been on the 'blues' and cider beforehand. It's also a serviceable statement of intent, breaking down into a sonically illustrated critique of modern art; "So I'm in the Tate Modern," announces Argos "I'm not a fan but I'm looking at a Monet. Art Brut; What would a Monet sound like?" The band promptly launch into a self-important cacophony. Ho Ho.

From the good old-fashioned stylistic divide between band and frontman - Argos constantly refers to his fellow bandmates, collectively, as 'Art Brut' and leaps ito the crowd to applaud them at the end - to the sheer raucous energy that never dips for a second, Art Brut bleed passion, style and fun. Aceness.

listen.to/artbrut

The Others 'X-posure Live' [Dial-Up] [Broadband]

Armed with a burning sense of injustice and some dirtied up guitars The Others hit the stage with the wage-slave anthem 'Lackey', frontman Dominic Masters flinging himself about the stage like a less-cuddly version of Hundred Reasons' Colin Doran.

As things progress however, it becomes clear that Masters is in fact a pre-pubescent Johnny Rotten with a voice like an angry pitbull.

With most bands, every song's a love song, but the closest The Others get is 'Johan', which takes The Strokes 'Someday' riff and twists it into something strange and ugly with some shuffling, off-beat drums - 'We don't need anyone/Except me and you/I still love you to bits' snarls Masters, sounding more like he'd rather hack you to pieces. Current single 'This Is For The Poor' finishes things off, prompting a rare invasion of The Barfly's tiny stage. The Kids are, as they say, united.

Special Needs 'X-posure Live' [Dial-Up] [Broadband]

Coming on like the Blues Brothers band fronted by a carefree Oscar Wilde, Special Needs stand out from the start. Melodramatic guitar flourishes, ska beats and mock falsetto vocals drive through the surf guitar, off-the-wall faux-showtunes and tales of high street dramatics and supermarket brand loyalty.

'Martin's In A Fix' kicks off like Monty Python doing 'Grease' - 'Martin's in a fix/And I don't know why/(he's a loser!)', 'That Maddening Glare' is preceded by the solemn announcement "This song normally has a harmonica. The harmonica has been lost." and 'Tarts' 'I'd do you/I'd do you again' chorus. Very special indeed.

Tagged as Special Needs, archive

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