Live

The Dead Kids

Paul Deacon 18/07/2006

The Artrocker nights have built up a sterling reputation over the last few years, providing a stage, a venue, a whole scene where our artrock bands can flourish in a safe, appreciative, responsive environment. It's a setting where our artrock bands can develop in there own right, away from the glare of the plastic NME world and the ilk, where the genuine talent shines through rather then the hype carrying them on to obscurity.

Tonight The Dead Kids epitomise the artrock values and beliefs, arriving on stage to promptly remind us all that we are the dead kids; few argue with Mike the bossy, demanding, dominating lead vocalist who with his on stage/off stage antics (walking along the bar, ripping bits of the ceiling, wrestling with fans) managed to raise the temperature in the tiny basement by about 50 degrees! The music, bass driven, guitars interlocking, combine to creating an intense attack: with songs that build up, songs that kick off right from the start, with keyboards, drum machines, noise making devices all going off, you realise straight away that the Dead Kids have a lot to offer. Their new single Dead Wife Pills (which is currently getting Eddy Temple Morris from the XFM remix show all excited) is not even the highlight of their set. The tune itself highlights the fact that the Dead Kids are not tied down to one genre: dance music, merging with punk attitude, along with their artrock tendencies all coming together and fitting like the perfect skinny jean, it works and it all sounds amazing.

The best thing about The Dead Kids is that they know they're not the epitome of "indie cool", they don't care if they're not "beautiful indie boys" with guitars, tonight shows that all they care for is the music. Their attitude and sheer love for what they do is clearly visible, and the tonight's crowd are loving it. Another important band has arrived. Get the single, catch them on tour in October, experience The Dead Kids; believe the conspiracies.

The Dead Kids Myspace