Free Rock n Roll @ Mello Mello, 3rd March 2011

Free rock ‘n’ roll has been quickly been gaining a reputation around Liverpool since its inception around last year. People pretty much know what they’re going to get at this night; the sound is often a bit tinny, the bands (and most of the crowd) all have a 50s style that would make the cast of American Graffiti look out of date, and there will at least be one member of Zombina and the Skeletones wandering around.

This night is no different, with the headlining act being rough rhythm and blues/rockabilly band El Toro featuring the Skeletones’ very own guitarist ‘Doc Horror’ on bass

After a rather uninvolving start to the night with an acoustic singer guy whining about stuff and generally not sounding very good, the night truly starts to experience some good music from local lads The Lees. Despite having a rather tame name, they open with a number I was reliably informed was entitled ‘Don’t Fuck With The Law’. Imagine Johnny Cash being trapped in a drunken stumble home with a member of The Coral and you’ve got a good idea of how The Lees sound. It’s local ‘Liverpool’ music as you expect to hear it; sixties-influences, brown-ale sound, and lots of cynical self-mockery between and during songs.

However, The Lees aren’t really suited to the crowd of fantastic freaks at Mello Mello, and the atmosphere noticeably goes up a notch once the stupendously ghastly sounding and ghastly looking Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons get going. Hailing from ‘dannnn south’ these sound exactly like the Zombina and the Skeletones used to (there they are again).

The crowd love them, but they were more than good enough for people to pay good money for. The lead singer, complete with feline hair ears and furry tail fully lived up to all the expectation and merchandise that they brought with them. A smart young lad would keep an eye on this band.

El Toro then had to follow them, but thankfully (think of Liverpool’s pride at being upstaged by a bunch of southerners [crying, crying, crying]) they delivered a solid, pounding dose of rock ‘n’ roll to quash the uprising. Lead singer ‘Jimmy O’ stalked the stage in a sinister pair of black sunglasses as the rest of band hammered out I-IV-V rhythms. To quote my friend, who’d tagged along for the gig: “The last band was mint” – and who would argue with that?!

Overall, this was one of the best Free Rock ‘n Roll nights at Mello Mello in a while. Although, ZATS’ influence still looms, it has become clear – to me at least – that that band is coming to a close, and that El Toro (with a new album just completed and released) me be able to steal the market.

Les Savy Fav @ The Kazimier, 26th February 2011

Despite always sounding a little bit thin on their albums, Les Savy Fav have always been one of the best live bands around. There’s a reason why they’ve been going for over a decade and also why according to Wikipedia, London based band Jetplane Landing have penned a tribute entitled: “Why Do They Never Play Les Savy Fav On The Radio?” Honestly.

This was their debut show in Liverpool, and it is difficult to imagine a better venue for their first appearance than the avant-garde, high on pretension but high-on quality setting of the Kazimier.

Despite the rambunctious finale that promised to be provided by Les Savy Fav and infant indie-supergroup Young Legionnaire, the night started off with some rather tame math-rock from local band Dire Wolfe.

The rather subtle and not-too-offensive seemed to be a reflection of the Kazimier at the time, as the place was only half-full. Mind you, their set was pretty much faultless, everything sounded tight and I expect to see them a couple more times around Liverpool.

After the rather subdued efforts of the previous two support acts it was time for Young Legionnaire to get up in front of Liverpool and prove that they are a bit more than the spare parts discarded by The Automatic (singer and guitarist Paul Mullen), Bloc Party (bassist Gordon Moakes) and not La Roux (originally drummer Will Bowerman has been replaced on this tour by Dean Pearson).

They pretty much set their stall out on the first song, which was probably louder than all the previous songs if they were added up together and mixed in a rolling, overall decibel pot. It’s hard to recall if they did actually ever turn the volume down; I think they had to stop to tune up once.

However, the energy supplied from Young Legionnaire was superb and gave a much needed kick-up-the-arse to proceedings. Frontman Paul Mullen was particularly brutal in his deliver; his Gibson SG in hand ‘Angus Young-style’ and his foot on the monitor ‘Steve Harris-style’. Stand out song was their single from last year ‘Colossus’.

All in all, the tone was set nicely for Les Savy Fav. After a quick break (it’s always funny how the biggest band playing can sound check the quickest), the New Yorkers burst onto the stage, and lead singer Harrison Haynes surprised everyone by appearing from the back of the crowd in neon-green face paint and green smurf-hat. However, this was only the start of proceedings.

Bear in mind that whilst the band was churning songs of the quality of “Pots and Pans”  “What Would Wolves Do?” and “Who Rocks the Party”, Harrison managed to hit people with a large Gandalf-inspired staff, strip down to his underwear, snog someone at the other end of the room and hang upside down from the top floor before finally pulling on a tiger suit for the encore.

If Liverpool needed introduced to Les Savy Fav then it is surely past formal handshakes now. The crowd and band seem to have taken to each other straight away, and if the zany New Yorkers ever feel like staying over again for a bit (a lot) more than coffee then they will forever be welcome.