Mindless Self Indulgence: Live @ Manchester Academy 21.10.07

Two years ago, if you told someone you were a fan of Mindless Self Indulgence, they'd give you a strange look, decide you were strange, and move on. But careful marketing, a few video game soundtracks, a Jhonen Vasquez collaboration and that good old chestnut: 'The Word Of Mouth' have shown that you don't need to have a hit record in this country to win an ever growing mass of devoted followers, who eagerly snapped up tickets for this return trip to Manchester Academy.

And with the queue stretching further back that most bands could dream of, the Academy was soon filled with what, as Winona Ryder once described herself in Beetlejuice, the "strange and unusual"... many of whom were lapping up the overpriced merchandise, which annoying included a t-shirt that just a month ago the band's management and myspace page were proudly proclaiming would only ever be available as a free gift with pre-orders of their live dvd, Our Pain, Your Gain. Still - there's no business like show business... when it comes to ripping off the fans, eh?

The evening's entertainment did not start well, either. It takes a performance of truly coma inducing boredom for me to even forget their name, let alone the songs they played, but whoever supported MSI have to be one of the worst warm up acts I've ever seen. It was as if Coldplay suddenly discovered a drum machine and sampler, and had no idea how to use them... amusing to watch for about twenty seconds, then I'm afraid they received the same treatment all crap support bands get these days - utter ignorance of their presence, while I played an enthralling round of Tetris on my phone. What on earth did we do before mobile phones - I've have gnawed my own arms off without it!

All was forgiven, however, once MSI appeared on stage. The crowd went wild, and the band played up to it, especially, of course, Little Jimmy Urine himself. Songs flew by, the band stopping only to allow Jimmy his half-scripted taunts... this time tailored to UK audiences - his tales of trying to write a Girls Aloud quality song, for example... or shopping at Marks and Spencer - neither of which you expect to hear American bands talk about in general, let alone whilst whipping an audience into a frenzy.

By the end of the night, all but a handful of their more famous songs had appeared in one form or another... the most notable omission being the first track of theirs I heard all those years ago, the infamous Molly... but in a set packed with as many songs as they like to perform, its not surprising a few get left out. After a brief explanation as to what bands "normally" do during the pre-encore moments, and a final corker or two... Jimmy rounded off with a perfectly mimed rendition to a playback of There's No Business Like Show Business, and vanished.

He returned five minutes later and all those who hadn't left yet swarmed around him as he began signing autographs for fans... though unlike most autographs, these could say absolutely anything - most notably his response when handed a passport: I'm not sure if its genius or insanity to allow him to write the words "I AM A TERRORIST" in your legal documents, but its certainly something unique to treasure forever! Guitarist Steve, Righ? soon followed, and bassist Lynn-Z and drummer Kitty were on their way, but after a long trek up from London to see them (I'd been away for the weekend), I simply couldn't be bothered hanging around and fighting my way through the scrum to speak to them.

Nevertheless, they should be commended for this behaviour - so many bands these days couldn't care less if their fans like them or not, as long as they get their money at the end of the night - here is a band that has become an ever growing phenomenon because they take the time to care... and long may they continue to do so.

Come back soon, MSI - next time the Apollo, eh?

2 Hearts

The Queen of Pop is back - with incredible results!

On 12th November, Kylie Minogue releases her first single in almost three years. Entitled 2 Hearts, you can hear the track now on Kylie's new myspace page, which also features the stunning music video for the song.

The tracklisting is as follows:

2-TRACK CD SINGLE
2 Hearts
I Don't Know What It Is

MAXI CD SINGLE
2 Hearts
2 Hearts [Alan Brave Remix]
King Or Queen
{+ CD-ROM Video}

12" PICTURE DISC
2 Hearts
2 Hearts [Alan Brave Remix]
2 Hearts [Version By Studio]

The album, entitled X will follow on November 26th.

Personally, I have to say I'm very impressed with the single. Originally recorded by electro band Kish Mauve, Kylie's reworking is a vast improvement on an already impressive original, and combines the best elements of Goldfrapp with more than a dash of that Bowie/Roxy Music sound so typified by the songs recorded for the movie Velvet Goldmine that this could almost be a lost track from the soundtrack album.

Once again, it showcases Kylie's ability to change with the times, and rework familiar concepts into her own grand design. Minogue has always been at her best when she's left to her own devices, carving out the epic string arrangements of Confide In Me, the laid back chillout of Put Yourself In My Place, the thundering electronic gems Limbo, Too Far and Tears from Impossible Princess, or that album's highlight Cowboy Style, with its eastern edge that makes Madonna's best efforts at bringing in multicultural influences seem positively laughable. And then, lets not forget those two titanic number one hits - Can't Get You Out Of My Head and Slow, or the sheer beauty of the rarely heard acoustic gem that is Ocean Blue.

I can't help but feel that at times, however, Kylie is compelled to make the music the public believes she should be making, as opposed to the material she wants to investigate, and time will tell whether they take to her tenth studio album. But judging by this early taster, I can't wait for the end of November...

Seth Lakeman: Live @ Manchester Academy 07.10.07

The last time Seth Lakeman played at Manchester Academy, there was an overwhelming feeling that he was finally breaking into the mainstream. After years of underground success, including a Mercury Music Prize nomination for 2005's Kitty Jay album, Seth had appeared on a variety of tv shows, entered the UK top 40, and had a shiny new recording contract upon which to reissue his albums.

Since then, things have been somewhat quiet on the Lakeman front, bar the odd festival appearance and a rather muted 7" only single release for King And Country. Yet whilst the venue hadn't quite sold out, it was still jam packed by the time Benji Kirkpatrick and recent chart success Ben's Brother had completed their support sets - and once again, yours truly, fluffy fox was right at the front. This time, the Academy had elected to put the barriers up, so leaning on the stage beside Seth's feet was not an option!

Lakeman and his more than able backing band were all full of a cold, but you wouldn't have known it if Seth hadn't apologised profusely during between-song banter - his voice as sensational as ever, his fiddleplaying as breathtaking as it was the first time you saw him blast his way through Kitty Jay all alone. And that track was, as ever, a highlight of an evening packed with them. Recent singles The White Hare and King And Country were both absent from the setlist, but fan favourite Lady Of The Sea and numerous tracks from his three albums to date all appeared, as did tantalising glimpses of the forthcoming fourth full lengther. One can only hope it'll be released in time to make 2008 start with a bang.

The next time Seth's in a town near you, do yourself a favour - put aside any prejudice you may have against folk, and go and see an incredible performer with a talented backup band, who together can put on a show to take your breath away. You won't regret it, believe you me.

Rob Zombie's Halloween

Packed with big budget sequels and pointless remakes, American cinema has been somewhat unoriginal in recent years. And Rob Zombie's take on Halloween is by no means a patch on the original - but then, few films can be. Nevertheless, it was better than all the Halloween sequels I've seen (including H20), and most remakes and indeed mainstream horror films of recent years.

On the plus side, Michael's childhood scenes, though they seemed to go on forever, were handled well (except for the highly misjudged first scene imho - though that may have been there to lull the audience into thinking they're watching another swear-cuss-no-plot Zombie film), and the child playing young Michael was excellent - as was, surprisingly, Sherri-Moon Zombie. However, spending so much time on his motives, his troubled upbringing and attempts to understand him detracted from the notion of Meyers as a pure manifestation of evil, which was a major factor in the character as originally seen. Zombie's alternative was far more realistic, but the fantastical flair of the original was lost as a result.

I wouldn't say thats necessarily a bad thing - if he had made a direct remake, it would most likely have failed miserably - in fact, I'd suggest he be commended for his attempts at taking the basic template and trying something different. The knowing winks to the original, and factoring in plot elements from the later sequels not only reveal that Zombie is a man who knows his subject, but actively worships it, and his representation works on a level that most other horror remakes don't - the closest comparison I can make is Savini's take on "Night Of The Living Dead", which also stayed very close to the original, but twisted and turned in different ways to keep knowing audiences on their toes and still provide the same thrills and spills for those who haven't seen the first film.

And here, its possible to feel pity on Michael at times... you can understand why Danny Trejo's character feels a connection to him, even if he is ultimately betrayed by Meyers brutal urges. It also allows Zombie to explore scenes the original could not - most notably the seemingly peaceful confrontation between Meyers and Laurie Strode. Sadly, it has to be said, Scout Taylor-Compton is no match for the equally double barreled Jamie Lee-Curtis, and one can't help but wonder how she would've handled this material back in 1978. And Taylor-Compton's relative obscurity may have played a factor in reducing Laurie's role to that of a supporting character, which is a decision I'm not sure is a good one - the audience is barely given time to get to know her and her friends before the killings start, and for a film that takes so long getting to the main events, suddenly rushing through them only makes proceedings feel highly uneven.

But the biggest change is one which is perhaps entirely down to the period in which both films were made, yet can't help but reduce the new film down to the levels of a generic slasher - that is, the choice of victims. The original film is effectively a morality tale - the victims are all people who drink, smoke and have sex - and only the virginal Laurie Strode, the wholesome Dr Loomis, and the young children Laurie is babysitting can survive Meyers attacks. This element was admittedly present in most slasher films of the age, though Halloween was most certainly the inspiration for the vast majority, its origins go back even further - to Carpenter's main inspiration, Psycho.

In Zombie's film, this element is almost lost, yet still lingers on in dialogue. He keeps references to Laurie needing a boyfriend, and her friends getting up to no good, even so far as to pay an almost direct homage to the original post coital demise of Annie and her boyfriend... and the film's first human death is also dished out to someone who Zombie goes to great lengths to portray as wicked... yet with the deaths of the prison guards, Laurie's 'parents' and even Dr Loomis, he's effectively discarding the notion of Meyers as a gruesome moralistic boogeyman and turning him into a pure blooded psychopath. Indeed, the sequence prior to the childhood killing of his family features the young Meyers almost ritualistically playing with his trick or treat candy before casually preparing his instruments of murder.

It's almost as if Zombie felt compelled to make a new film that took the basic setting and the iconic villain, and made both look completely different, up to date and more realistic than they ever did before - yet at the same time felt the need to please the existing fanbase and pay homage to the original a tad too often. As a diehard horror movie buff, he knows his subject expertly, and the knowing cameos from Ken Foree, Bill Mosely, Udo Keir and Brad Dourif, plus the entire casting of Malcolm McDowell seem to be there entirely to please both himself and his fellow horror aficionados as much as the odd line or shot that knowingly reference Carpenter, or the use of the original score (which lets face it, few could ever topple)... but the need to appeal to mainstream audiences, and to provide a new take on things ultimately clashes with the fanboy urge, and the film never quite lives up to the sum of its parts as a result, though the sudden ending works far better than any genuine resolution ever could, and like the best horrors, leaves you with one last scare before the credits roll. Perhaps it would've been better to show Michael leaping back to life only to be suddenly dispatched in the same manner he eventually is, or even disappearing into the ether as with the original... but somehow Zombie's ending feels more "real" than either could ever do.

On the whole, it was an enjoyable piece of horror hokum - and audiences who have never seen Jamie Lee Curtis hiding in the closet armed only with a coathanger will adore it. Those going into it expecting to hate every second will find its flaws and rip it to shreds, and those who love the original and expect a carbon copy will also be disappointed. Yet, I can't help but think those who go into it with an open mind and no expectations whatsoever will reap its rewards in spite of its mistakes... and get to see a half decent horror thats vastly superior to the majority of recent remakes in the genre.

Welcome

Hello there ladles and jellyspoons, and welcome to Suburban Wonderfox - a place where yours truly, fluffy fox will attempt to post his random musings on a variety of films, tv, music and other forms of art whenever he sees fit.

There's no guarantee I'm going to remember to maintain this page, let alone that anyone will want to read it - and this isn't a replacement for my real blog - which is staying put at Myspace - but as an alternative, less personal place to shout about things without 'real life' getting in the way, this is an ideal place to try something new.

So hello once again, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on mine very soon.

Until then - you stay classy, live journal!

www.myspace.com/didymusbrush



Didy