Victorian English Gentlemens Club - Islington Academy, London, 21/11/2007
by Sarah Maybank
published: 23 / 11 / 2007
intro
Sarah Maybank watches Cardiff trio the Victorian English Gentlemens Club blast their way through a breathtakingly frenzied but unmelodic set at the London Islington Academy
As ‘Dirty Dancing’ starlet Jennifer Grey so succintcly put it back in 1987, "Nobody puts The Victorian English Gentlemens' Club in the corner." It’d be insulting to suggest Cardiff’s favourite ear-pummelers are merely trying to usurp their second on the bill status to tonight’s headliners, Sons And Daughters. Why bother with the small stuff when you can put a real effort in and make a concerted attempt to catch the glassy eye of the Hubble telescope, hurtling around the deepest darkest reaches of the solar system ? The Victorian English Gentlemens Club are a little bit art, a little bit brute and a whole lot of Tourette’s-style yelping. Stalking on stage resplendent in retro glam evening gowns (tub thumper Emma and bassist Louise) and blond floppy Swedish 70's porn star hair (singer Adam), they look like a trio of style-conscious mental asylum inmates. And they rock like the Young Knives doing PCP with the Breeders. No riff is too disjointed, and no tune too waywardly deliquent to be turned away by the VEGC. As if to add to the sense of divine torture, the whole thing is overlaid with splattering drums and juddering electronic sound effects courtesy of their uncredited fourth member, a black box of tricks in the corner that possibly doubles up as one of those electric shock ‘interrogation’ devices favoured by 70's Latin American juntas. A keener melodic sense would give them the pop/noise armoury that’s helped Jack White clean up over the past few years, but, despite that 18 carat twinkle in Louise’s eye, they don’t seem like the types to pander to popular taste. Feel free to share your opinions with them if you must. We’ll be the ones hiding in a nuclear bunker while you do it. The photographs that accompany this article were taken by Russell Ferguson
Picture Gallery:-
interviews |
Interview (2006) |
Cardiff three piece the Victorian English Gentlemen’s Club have recently released their self-titled alabum to good reviews. Helen Tipping speaks to singer and guitarist Adam Taylor about it, and the band's non-stop touring schedule at a show in Leeds |
reviews |
La Mer/Stupid as Wood (2007) |
Offbeat and twisted latest single from Cardiff trio the Victorian English Gentlemen's Club, the first to feature bassist Louise Mason on vocals |
Impossible Sightings Over Shelton (2006) |
The Double A Side (2006) |
Tales Of Hermit Mark (2005) |
most viewed articles
current edition
The Church - Interview with Steve KilbeySimon Heavisides - Destiny Stopped Screaming: The Life and Times of Adrian Borland
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.
Secret Shine - Interview
Vetchinsky Settings - Interview
Repomen - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Jack Roscoe - Interview
Near Jazz Experience - Interview
Sami Sumner - Interview
Flaming Stars - Interview
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPPrisoners - Interview
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Allan Clarke - Interview
Michael Lindsay Hogg - Interview
Jimmy Nail - Interview
Jonny Fluffypunk - Interview
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Bluebells - Interview with Ken McCluskey
most viewed reviews
current edition
Lewis 'Burner' Pugh - Bullets for BreadIan Hunter - Defiance Part 2: Fiction
Inutili - A Love Supreme
Kula Shaker - Natural Magick
Smalltown Tigers - Crush On You
Hillbilly Moon Explosion - Back in Time
My Life Story - Loving You is Killing Me
David Cross Band - Ice Blue Silver Sky
Beyonce - Cowboy Carter
Ty Segall - Three Bells
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart