Art Brut, London Electric Ballroom
Art Brut's Eddie Argos
May 7th 2009
Here’s an interesting head-to-head between our two editors. Caz Wilson VS Satan(alie), according to Caz… where do YOU sit? Do you sit at all?
The last time I saw Art Brut, I thought my life had just re-begun. Jasper Future was scaling the amps, it was complete anarchy. I was going to form a band, only listen to b-sides etc etc etc.
But now? Ach, it makes me sad to say it but as I get closer and closer to the stage the superceding thought is that of, well, a veteran. Bang Bang Rock and Roll is one of my favourite albums of recent years, and It’s A Bit Complicated was able to follow it up without sounding too much like a rehash, but listening to Art Brut vs. Satan felt pretty counter-productive.
They put on a manic frenzy of a show, for sure, but:
(a) Art Brut aren’t a band to watch sober
(b) Art Brut aren’t a band to watch in a venue deeper than it is wide
(c) Art Brut aren’t a band to watch for the second time at anything other than a festival
And more.
It felt… desperate? I am sad to say this. The witticisms of, let’s say, ‘Modern Art’, ‘Direct Hit’ and ‘D.C. Comics and Chocolate Milkshake’ are so dangerously of the moment that it’s difficult to watch them live amidst each other a week from their coming to fruition let alone four years on; they’re striking as standalones, a superlative glut when piled on top of each other.
This isn’t so much a live review as a re-evaluation of why Art Brut’s expiration point may have long passed.
Caz will disagree…
Art Brut. Makes me. Want to rock out! Tonight is the first time I’ve seen the band, and I thought it was a fantastic live spectacle. I can totally sympathise with Nat, as I imagine that anyone’s virginal Art Brut experience would be as raw and visceral as mine – but, maybe like watching a horror film on repeat, the impact may get less sensational over time.
There is a hell of a lot to love, though, and innumerable rock ‘n’ roll cliches abound; at one point pioneering frontman Eddie Argos makes his way into the crowd and halfway through the venue and practically to the bar whilst singing ‘Modern Art’. Art Brut are Argos’ gang, and he strikes a Gary Glitteresque pose when asking “ready, Art Brut?” before each song.
New songs ‘Alcoholics Unanimous’and ‘Passenger, The’ make comfortable bed fellows with classics such as ‘Emily Kane’, ‘Nag Nag Nag’,and the best ever song about impotence, ‘Rusted Guns Of Milan’. Argos fumes about high-street record stores that sell DVDs and games (”I f***ing hate computer games!”) as well as mimicking his industry contemporaries. Repeat after Eddie in a deadpan voice: “MY sex is on fire. Am I human, or am I dancer?”
The band are explosive and energetic, making for an exciting performance, but, as Nat says, there may not be a lot of scope for Art Brut to develop their oddball persona. Still, why would you want to listen to U2 when you’ve got these guys?
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