GOATBOY + DUSTBYTE + MOOSEJAW20th February 2003Dustbyte look like Badly Drawn Boy's poorer cousins. Although the Hartlepool four have been touring the toilets of Britain for years their sets are still disorganized and include some bland clunkers which should have been culled ages ago. Yet when they build up a head of steam nothing can stop them, the audience clamber on board and... extend your own metaphor. When I spoke to them afterwards I was surprized to discover the new album (Protocol Department - meaning what?) would be only their first - the negative side of their otherwise commendable DIY ethic? Apparently a lot rides on it, so Good Luck lads. Moosejaw were clearly the popular local band. They attracted as many from the venue's lounge, through its wide arches, to the stageroom as the headliners. Not that they were in any way populist. In fact they were surprizingly the most leftfield band on the night. Musically and politically. They sounded like a prog band who had discovered the Clash. Their vocalist sang very emotionally - and I mean sing with emotion, not scream incomprehensibly - about social issues, against the war.. and Blue Velvet! At least four or five songs were about scenes from that dark David Lynch movie. Downright weird. Anon, E.A.R.. |