The Rakes etc @ the Astoria

Under what circumstances is the willful killing of minors acceptable?

It started of well enough; we turned up early as there were 4 (quite good) bands playing tonight, yep count em, 4 for £11. It’s a budget gig, and within pocket money grasp, so I shouldn’t have been surprised that lots of kids showed up. The fact that they were all off their faces was a bit of a shocker though, and the lack of personal hygiene wasn’t something I was prepared for either. Next time I’m bringing a cattle prod to keep the rank, repulsive, horny, violent, pilling little f**kers off me!

Still first on to a nearly empty Astoria the ON OFFS were ok, they made lots of noise and filled the stage doing a British Greenday, with shouty threepart harmonies included. The DUELS were next and I preferred their darker powerpop stylings, (even if Maximo has gotten in there first with this type of thing). The singing chap was working the heavy overcoat moody bastard look, but that could have been because the half empty Astoria was bloody freezing.

Still when it comes to image no one comes close to the mighty bleached WHITE ROSE MOVEMENT. Resplendent in a tight inside-out T (it must be how they’re wearing them at Trash these days) and skinny yellow - yes, YELLOW - jeans, Finn Vine strutted round the stage like an indie rentboy on the tout.

Then finally it was headline act time and out they trot, looking ever so ordinary after the shallow glamour of WRM, but THE RAKES are not without style and their performance is absolutely exceptional! They blend gritty clever lyrics and a dancy art rock sound with, some very silly, slightly effeminate jigging about. The mad staring eyes and the throwing shapes with his elbows are trademark Donohoe moves, and even though his energy on stage is less nervous now, there is still an intense spontaneity to everything he does. They end on 'Strasbourg' and the audience go nuts. Well slightly more mental than they had been. Perhaps next time I may think about finding a safer vantage point, or bring along that cattle prod!

More Rakes at the Meanfiddler.