BDFD with Electric Six

ELECTRIC SIX comes to Cardiff, and thank you Christopher Tate (Electric Six Keyboards) for putting BDFD on the guest list. Destination-The Globe- Cardiff, never been there before, just as well I wasn't expecting theatrical Shakespearian surroundings. It was like a blast back to the dingy 80’s loveable but rough venues, pepper sprayed in Snake bite and vomit and the raw rage for real music, no fancy ales or cocktails just a pint in a plastic cup (Are allowed plastic cups?) Thankfully the Globe did lack the snakebite and vomit floor.

Thanks to the flue-ridden drama queen fashion crisis and an uber driver wanting to go the scenic route, we arrived in mid flow of the first band. JACK ELLIS, not sure was that a collective name, the front mans name or a random name generated by siri? Anyway a bunch of local young guys thrashing good rhythm on riffs to the point the lead singers string sprung off in mid flight. Edgy brutal syncopated guitars, with solid bass and drums. I must admit I thought later on in the evening the singers trousers were going to spring off in mid flight also, judging by the gyrating he and his lady friend were doing on the upstairs sofa during electric 6. A real rock n roller wide boy in the making.

Next: MUTANT MONSTERS, enter the stage. Three stunning doll like Japanese girls with serious matching shirts and a serious abundance of talented attitude, boy could these girls play their instruments, and boy did they know how to shout and whoop up the crowd. Bouncing bubblegum punk to blast your ears off, with undertones of Sham 69 and the Clash, all rapped up in a modern slick commercially desirable package, how can they go wrong? Watch this space, great performance with banging tunes. When they were done they voomoshed off stage swoshed by us upstairs followed by their burley manager. As they disappeared into the dressing room (Well a random Closet) I pounced into action like one of our Tokyo Toy B movie chicks, in hot pursuit and thrust upon them copies of the Space Goddess Album. I then tried to explain who the hell I was and BDFD's connection with Japan. Awkwardly they looked blank at me, the El magic pixie dust had never dropped on them, they smiled politely and thanked me for my forced upon gift.

ELECTRIC SIX enter the stage and do not fail to deliver. It was the last night of a 29 gig tour and they were well oiled machine. A stomping set of tunes, old and new, as tight as nuns private parts. Dick Valentine (Wow what a name! I'am thinking of changing mine to Vagina Xmas has a nice ring to it!) Anyway back to Dick, a real Showman with confidence and Charisma, swinging from being a cool cars salesman to a slick preacher of Rock, he engages with the audience so well, his banter and balls kept the whole room gripped and grinding. At one point he launched himself into the crowd narrowly missing decapitating a Harvey Weinstein look alike and a couple of topless Hipper Hippsters.

When Gay Bar kicked in I thought the place would implode, a great mix of old and new material, the new 'How Dare you' Album to classics such as high Voltage, and I was lapping up the funk and slap of ‘inappropriate dancing’. Anyway the end had to come to a great night. Managed to have a quick chat with Mr. Valentine who was holding court with his fans, some who travel the world following them, real devotion, but then they the band that gives.

(I hope I haven’t given them my flu) Then on to a quick smooze with the adorable and talented Mutant Monster girls, who are so sweet they should be called the Munchkin Monsters.

A great atmosphere and diverse age in the audience was refreshingly. Old familiar memories of indie bands in Essex dives when music seemed raw, evolving and never homogenized. All this set T Boy (Jeff) down memory lane, those debaucherous tour days with Foreheads in a Fishtank, sex, drugs and rock n Roll. The only drugs of choice we embraced last night was flue Max plus relief…No ones to old to rock n roll, but it certainly takes longer to recover the next day.