Live

The Priscillas, Royal Treatment Plan, Lynch Ryder Lulu

Kev Eddy 06/05/2006

It's surprisingly busy in the Luminaire tonight. Whether this is due to the fact it's the inaugural GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! night, and therefore promoters Bree Oliver-Moss and Paula Steel have been busy encouraging/advertising/blackmailing extensively, or down to the fact it's a Saturday night doesn't really matter. The music is playing, and that's all that matters.

Unfortunately, due to the vagaries of London transport, I only catch the last song of Lynch Ryder Lulu. What I hear, however, I like - they've got a pleasingly swirly post-rock aspect to them, yet still with a sharp edge that stops you from being completely carried away on the swell. Certainly a band I'd like to see more of.

Royal Treatment Plant rrrrock. With a live sound that's substantially meatier than their recorded material, they bring to mind bands like Royal Trux and Human Waste Project, with a bit of Hole thrown in for good measure. At times, they do sound a little too similar to a number of riot grrrl bands - but the quality of their songmanship can't be doubted, and they're far more than just another girl-fronted band. And 'Killer Heels' is an awesome tune.

The Priscillas are far too often compared to the Pipettes, which I feel is unfair. There's really nothing linking them apart from that a) they're girls, b) they reference American culture circa the 60s and c) they write fantastic three-minute pop-punk songs. Erm…

No matter who you compare them to, in their own right they're a perfectly accomplished band, and don't disappoint tonight. They're tight as fuck, and the banter between the band members is spot on. The music isn't half bad either - the Ramones filtered through a Russ Meyer film and an Archway tube train. If you're looking for a band that you can drink cheap vodka to and dance around to like it's 1969, you can't go far wrong with these ladies, and they bring the night to a entertaining end.

End? What's that - the bar's still open, you say? Mine's a double, please…