White Light Motorcade - London Dublin Castle - 26/2/03
3/5
By: Toby L
Set-List: 'Open Yo Eyes', 'My Way', 'Semi P', 'All Gone Again', 'It's Happening', 'Love It When You...', 'On Top'.
Just five minutes inside the human sweatbox commonly known as Camden's Dublin Castle and, already, rumours are fast circulating about NYC's latest foursome seeking - presumably - refuge, success and maybe some form of temporary accommodation.
Yes, and with a double-barrelled band-title resembling the mouthful-at-first of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the sort of in-jokes being uttered range from the idea that the group's drummer once was married to Juliana Hatfield, a ghastly notion that they all share the same hair-dye and, related to the latter and perhaps more distressingly, the bassist is a hairdresser.
Understandably apprehensive at first, all that's left to enthral is the music and - fortunately - advance-plays of the band's forthcoming, eponymous debut-EP appear favourable; tightly sliced and diced guitar-assaults and melodic choruses against pulse-racing bass-rumbles and unfeasibly well-composed drum-action house several of the New Rock 'n' Roll's finer qualities. All that's needed is a live-show to match.
Well, they're not far off it. Trotting onstage to an empty room - a queue for the guest-list clogs up the entrance for many-an-industry-insider - the quartet ramshackle their way through a barrage of moderately head-banging matter, but fully hit their stride on track-four - the moody depths of 'All Gone Again', a tune which churns and gurns with gentle majesty before leaking into a sweeping, albeit melodious, choral-headrush of endearing distortion. The applause rouses, and we almost forget the embarrassing moment where one of them leaps from the side of the stage and pierces the lid of a nearby, empty beer-crate.
The blood must be racing faster too, for they uncontrollably kick and shunt each other around the platform as if they were rival street-gangs, and hit a high within the impossibly awesome self-declaration of 'It's Happening', a pouting Supergrass in Pixies-overdrive that perfectly defines their mission. Regally, the pace and panache rivets 'til close, culminating in a manically monstrous 'On Top', audience ovation and reception even surpassing that of prior keenness.
There's talent here then, that be for sure, but we'll have to wait for an airing of beyond seven song before we can conclusively sell our souls to the WLM devil, and part with cash and virginity alike to their exciting rebellious cause. Yet, as far as entrances go, this is by all means a grand initiation.
Artists in this article: White Light Motorcade
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