Saturday was largely rubbish. That is unless you’re a teenager ripping it up to dayglo pop. While we were festooned in The Real World our 17-year-old helper-outerer Jamie Stubbs was enjoying himself with these LA chirpsters. Beware: bouncing.
WAS singer Jarvis Anderson trying to tell us something with the choice of first song, Jump Out Of Your Car?
Looking at his black eye, many in the crowd were probably wondering if he’d perhaps come a cropper on the way to the gig.
No, he later revealed – but he had been in a fight the previous night, ‘With the dance floor,’ he explained, as the band launched into Violent and Young, which possibly left a few moshers sporting a similar look the next morning.
‘Liverpool you’re the best crowd we have ever had!‘ Jarvis later shouted.
Ah, I do like hearing that blatant lie‘…
Among the glowsticks, sweat and slick rapping, the band unveiled new material from their soon-to-be-released second album with Dedication a particular standout; all characteristically bouncy as the audience boinged along while pretending to know the words.
Thankfully it was a great tune and if the rest of the new songs are as good as this, then the album should be a success.
They ended with their ‘biggie’, In This City (a number 8 smash, pop pickers) as the crowd erupted and the decibel level reached, well, high.
The Red Leicester-endorsed encore DayGlo – a song you know you shouldn’t love but do anyway – wrapped up events in suitably ecstatic fashion.
Word also, to American support New Politics – who with barely a year under their belt blasted raw pop tunes interrupted by impulsive breakdancing on the singer’s part, and Liverpool’s unsigned band Mannequins, who, played angular rock with a dynamic vocal verve.
All said, a night to remember – Iglu & Hartly were just the kind of mindlessly chirpy outlet I needed to offset the gloom of Valentine’s the following day. So if you’ve got any unfriendly and unavoidable events coming up, why not numb the pain with a little bit of alternative pop – and a lot of jumping.
Iglu & Hartly: DayGlo
http://www.myspace.com/igluandhartly
http://www.myspace.com/newpoliticsrock
http://www.myspace.com/mannequins
