The Moldy Peaches - London ULU - 20/6/02
4/5
By: Toby L
The Moldy Peaches are the most unlikely of superstars. Yet that's what they are tonight. Undoubtedly.
From the moment all six members creep on to the stage clad in costumes ranging from the absurd to the simply bizarre, the audience howls in a fit of excitement that you'd never have expected to see ten minutes prior. Focal-figures, Adam Green and Kimya Dawson, smile with all the sincerity and overwhelmed joy as you'd expect from kids left alone in a toy-store for a weekend, and proceed to launch into a one-hour set, centring near completely on their debut and self-titled LP.
The MPs' original and inaugural stop-over as support for The Strokes back in summer 2001 saw just Green and Dawson hit the road with an acoustic-guitar to air their comedic, often pathetically romantic, folk/rock 'n' roll/sick-hop anthems. However, provided with a full, beefy - and unfathomably tight - line-up, the songs this time 'round really shine. Set-opener 'Downloading Porn With Davo' particularly sees the differences between the duo performing and the six-piece playing - the latter able to knock the attendees into a sweaty, excited daze, pogoing relentlessly and singing along so excitedly that such an instance is just a little sweet.
A following assault of 'County Fair', oozing into the dance-rock crossover of 'On Top', succeeds to prompt the slower, sensitive (though still humorous) compositions such as 'Anyone Else But You' and 'Lazy Confessions' to wallow in the silky sassiness and warmth which was evoked on the original lo-fi recordings. Yet, what is always most exciting is when it doesn't go to plan - for, when an audience-member declares his undying love for Kimya, the immensely cute and endearing front-woman is reduced to a fit of giggles, completely ruining her chance of singing.
Aside from this, as the group descend into their slightly more, erm, insane numbers, namely, the desperation of Kimya's 'D2 Boyfriend' - Adam sat on the stage by himself in a self-conscious hunch throughout - or 'These Burgers Are Crazy', the response is near-euphoric, and a set-conclusion in the form of a sing-a-long 'Jorge Regula', the manic and ironic guitar-solo lurking within 'Nothing Came Out' and an incendiary 'Who's Got The Crack' sees the scene take off. A fitting closure, the band gawp at the crowd as equally awestruck by the response as the audience are by the quality of the performance.
Amusing, heartfelt and showy, The Moldy Peaches are modern-pop music at its irreverent and perplexing finest. Rid of your pretensions and enjoy their gift.
Artists in this article: The Moldy Peaches
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment