How can I help you dream when all you do is scream?

[reddragdiva]

Last night, arkady and I went to see Deathboy at the Garage. (redcountess was utterly shattered from the weekend's serve of adrenalin and couldn't come out.)

Deathboy had severe laptop problems (remember, no-one ever made it big running Windows on their stage computer), but acquitted themselves suitably during the set. The kids loved it.

They were followed by Mignon, a woman from Berlin who sings and jumps around to a backing track of metal-sounding pop with bad-girl lyrics. Mignon is what happens when people of no talent listen to Nina Hagen and Lene Lovich records.

Rico are a pop band who think they're a rock band. The singer does the precise same screech as Kurt Cobain, every song. If I tell you their current single is a cover of "Psychokiller" by Talking Heads done a bit slower with the screech, you know exactly what all their songs sound like. We stuck around for the number with Gary Numan, which was actually the best thing they did. The electric cello (apparently played by Martin McCarrick, ex-Therapy?) was damn fine too.

markeris applied the Wasp Factory Wallet Hoover and got me for a Faetal CD. hairyears spoke of seeing Tubeway Army first time around. Bastard!

This morning, Liz and Arkady went out to the flat to watch the electrician do his stuff and liaise with the agent. Upshot: the electrics are fucked and need a shitload of work immediately (before we do anything so foolish as to switch on the boiler and try to dry the place out — the carpet still squelches); Liz quoted relevant portions of the relevant Act at the agent; the agent is now enjoying the Butt-Pounding Fist of Legal Requirements. I'm sure we'll receive more information in due course.

Comments

[zotz]

Martin McCarrick, ex-Therapy?

I didn't realise he'd left. He seems to have silently evaporated from their website, though.

[reddragdiva]

The Rico site links to his page as being http://www.homeofmccarrick.com/ , but that domain doesn't appear to exist.

[zotz]

Partly that would be because it's spelt McGarrick, but it doesn't work that way either.

Worryingly, Google's 23rd hit for "Martin McGarrick" is my review of the recent Siouxsie concert. Maybe I should make my LJ unindexable.

[girfan.livejournal.com]

Are they taking photos and notes? It may help when you plea a case to agency/landlord...especially if it involves compensation.

[redcountess]

David took photos last night, but really, none of our stuff is damaged - it's just the ceiling walls and floors in the bathroom/kitchen and hallway that took the brunt. The electrician is a sweetie and on our side, which helps.

[redcountess]

We'll just be requesting reimbursement for the plumber's fee from Friday night, and a refund of rent not used.

[girfan.livejournal.com]

I wasn't talking about photos to prove damage to your stuff as much as proof that the flat was made uninhabitable by the damage. Has the estate agent come by to see first-hand?

[redcountess]

Yes, he came today, and was quite shocked. He then was further shocked when I proceeded to quote Section 11 of the Tenancy Act to him ;-)

[steer.livejournal.com]

Rico are a pop band who think they're a rock band.

Peasant. Rico (just the one guy really -- though he has a bunch he tours with) produces damn good dancable rocky stuff. I've been a complete fan-boy since I saw him support therapy a long long time ago now. The band he's most often compared with is NIN -- which is only pop for a very broad definition of pop.

[reddragdiva]

Dance music, songs constructed according to the KLF Golden Rules, with the Cobain-style angst and synthetic rockism stuck on like wallpaper. A pop band that thinks it's a rock band.

I wasn't quite sure whether to describe it as a solo artist or a band. Sort of like Deathboy, which is both.

[steer.livejournal.com]

*shrug* As a long time fan there's no way on earth I'd have recognised them from that description. Indeed I'm struggling to think of the "dance music" part even now -- not that I have any objection to dance music, I'm quite a fan.

[reddragdiva]

The 'dance' bit appears to be the chosen BPM, rather than the influence of techno as we know it per se.

How would you describe them, minus superlatives?

[steer.livejournal.com]

Like I said, the band they're most often likened to is NIN (even though Rico insists he'd only vaguely heard NIN stuff before the release of the first album) -- so I guess that puts it somewhere between pop and industrial rock depending on your opinion of NIN.

[reddragdiva]

I really can't hear NIN ... not the way I can in Deathboy, for example.

The gig was probably not the best circumstance (Mignon would put anyone off music) and I know far too many people who highly rate Rico, so I shall probably listen again with less volume.

[redcountess]

I should mention that the agent thinks the insurance co. will get their salvage people in with the dehumidifiers and other industrial drying equipment.

[reddragdiva]

Hah. Has he called back with any details on where we're going to, like, LIVE?

[redcountess]

No, but he may not have heard back from the insurers yet, I'm more pissed off that the council's Housing Advisory Unit hasn't called back :-/

[cybermuppet.livejournal.com]

remember, no-one ever made it big running Windows on their stage computer
Swarf know all about that.