Queen Adreena - London Underworld - 12/6/02
4/5
Some things in life really make you stop and wonder - cross-dressing vicars with ducks on the tube, for instance, or even where spit goes when you swallow - and why the hell Queen Adreena aren't superstars.
Much of this band's uniqueness resides in singer Katy-Jane Garside's and guitarist Crispin Gray's unspoken sexual chemistry, which ensures their whole enterprise to seem even more exciting and real than most of their contemporaries.
Tonight, striding out onto the darkly-lit stage, there is an instant aura of pantomime about them all, too. Katy resembles a JH Waterhouse painting come to life, what with her ripped dress and waif-like face, all the while exuding a subtle madness as she reaches for the microphone. Musically, much is the same, the first number, 'My Silent Undoing' lulling the audience into a false sense of security, what with its haunting melody and glockenspiel - the latter provided ably via bassist Orson - prior to raging new number, 'Kitty Collar Tight', Katy's voice morphing into a violent growl alongside an infectious riff as gallivanted by Gray, the result awaking all in the room, teasing them on until the final notes are plucked at the end of the evening.
Aside from such moments, old favourite 'Cold Fish' is an amazing shock to the system, lodging itself in heads and refusing to leave, Garside meanwhile throwing herself about the stage like a woman possessed while Crispin pouts in exquisite fashion. Only a 'Pretty Polly' is as disorientating, proof of what QA can really do when nudged for greatness: twisting, coiling and creeping up on you before exploding into an epic masterpiece. By the time of 'Razorblade Sky' and its intense arrival, Katy is down to her underwear, throwing herself at the mercy of the crowd, simultaneously looking like a naive girl committing a painful penance, the quiet desperation in her voice wholeheartedly intoxicating the listener. The song ends in a complete, unashamed rock-out, and the group's leader stage-diving into a sea of awaiting arms, the rest of the band leaving our sight until the singer is left standing alone like a frightened child, singing 'Heavenly Surrender'. Everyone in the room is left glassy-eyed in the equivalent of a post-orgasmic haze.
Evidently, Queen Adreena epitomise many of the elements that create 'a stunning act': sexy, manic, insane, and - if tonight's gig is anything to go by - on their way up.
Artists in this article: Queen Adreena
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