Horrorpops - Club Zero, Sheffield, 14/8/2004

  by Helen Tipping

published: 13 / 8 / 2004

intro

Danish punks the Horrorpops combine their horror pyschobilly with a camp-gothic sound. While undoubtedly entertaining enough, Helen Tipping finds their theatrical brand of rock leaving her cold at Sheffield's Club Zero

I went to see the Horrorpops expecting a Cramps-type experience, but that wasn't to be.  Held together by Patricia (upright bass and vocals), Nekroman (guitar/vocals), Niedermeier (drums/vocals) and Karsten (guitar/vocals) with Kamilla and Naomi providing the requisite go-going this Danish band find their roots in 80's New Wave slashed with 50's rockabilly. They veer towards horror psychobilly with a camp-gothic sound, the slight indie overtones likely born out of old influences from Patricia’s former punk-pop collective Peanut Pump Gun. If this “straight up rock and roll” (as they claim it is), I, however, couldn’t see it. Patricia is vaguely reminiscent of Siouxsie, and the band is vaguely reminiscent of the Banshees, but vaguely. The only real point of interest come from Kamilla and Naomi. Not your usual go go dancers - these two pull weird faces and make rude gestures - but then so do the rest of the band. The band and the go go dancers obviously enjoyed themselves, and most of the audience appeared to.  The American-style audience participation and shouts of "Are you enjoying yourselves?" were definitely, however, putting a few people off, myself included.  Although I thought they were entertaining enough, they did nothing for me. I wasn't tempted to get up and dance or buy a CD or a Horrorpops thong, but if you happen to be into camp-goth-psychobilly I'm sure you'll appreciate them.

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