Breeders - London Mean Fiddler, 2/6/2002

  by Julia Willis

published: 11 / 6 / 2002

intro

In the first our two Breeders reviews this month, and in what was otherwise for her the best gig of the year, Julia Willis finds herself in good company with the band and falling foul of security

I want to be in a band. I want to be in the Breeders. " WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'FIRST THREE SONGS'?! " (A shrug. Petulant silence as he runs his pen down the list) " HEY! ARE THEY PAST THE FIRST THREE SONGS THEN? WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE LIST IF YOU KNOW WE CAN'T TAKE PHOTOS?" (I screech) "  AGH! What's the fucking point*** " Kim Deal and I  hate security. I have no Breeders photographs. The best gig I've seen this year and I have no photographs. For this I would like to thank the following people for their help: All at Railtrack for their tardiness and Security at the Mean Fiddler for their unfaltering ignorance. I'm always pleased when the crowd are post-adolescent. Everyone in the packed room seemed to be comfortable slipping towards thirty and beyond, although the only problem with this is that I couldn't see over their heads. Standing on tiptoes, sweating copiously and swearing profusely I squint up at the stage to see Kim and Kelley Deal fronting the new line-up which includes half of the LA Punk group, Fear: Richard, Mando and Jose. Kim and Kelley Deal don't give a fuck. They're unkempt and unruly. They talk amongst themselves. They chat to the crowd, light cigarettes and drink beer, swear and rip the piss out of each other. This is what real girls are like. Their lo-fi, analogue minimalism transfers effortlessly from the recent album 'Title TK' and Kim's feminine melodic voice sounds just the same live as do the distinctive Deal/Deal harmonies. The characteristic rawness, simplicity and individuality are only enhanced watching the band in performance.  The quirky 'Full on Idle', the extra snare Kim pulls out and plays on 'The She', the heartbreaking tonal twists and muted musing of 'Off You' are all highlights of this laid back show. Two encores are played to a more than appreciative crowd and there is a genius moment right at the end at which Kim dedicates the tune to security "fuck you, I don't care about you'" YEAH! You go girl! Their affinity with the crowd is startlingly and refreshingly real as Kim gets off the stage to talk to the crowd and the band hand out drumsticks and set lists to a sea of hands. Kim and Kelley Deal do give a fuck. They're just not into pretending. I want to be in a band. I want to be in the Breeders. Footnote : The photograph at the top of the article is our photograph from the Breeders gig. In despair at coming away empty handed, the photographer and I took photographs of ourselves. The other shots of us politely gesturing at security have been witheld for legal reasons..........