Look who's Toxic, The Amazing Phillips's Sisters / Tucker B's, Spod - The Northcote Social Club

Friday night gigs need to start earlier to pull in the punters and keep them awake, bar a few overly enthusiastic members of the crowd, most of those hanging around the Northcote Social Club band room are looking like they’d rather be in bed and the support band’s job is a tough one to extract any sort of enthusiasm or energy.

‘Look Who’s Toxic√Æ start well with a flurry of fast and frantic songs about the life of rock and roll nerds, themes such as ninjas, junk food, fictional creatures and Fetuses. A few songs descend into rather dirge like territory but several punkier numbers stand out, there are some awesome bass lines and two drum machine led white-boy-hip-hop tunes wake up the audience enough to draw some shouting and bootie shaking.

INSERT BAND NAME HERE(!) try stupendously hard to arouse the crowd, taking to the stage in matching Wizards costumes, complete with pointy hats, capes and grey beards. Most of the set feels like it’s improvised, the band don’t hide the fact that no one really knows what’s going on particularly well, but all the members are extremely accomplished musicians and manage to pull off a set of erratic hard rock that some bands would struggle to deliver.
A lot has been said about Spod and for anyone’s first experience everything he pulls out of the hat is new and unexpected. First on stage are ‘The Orsumettes√Æ, Spod’s all girl dance troop who’s skimpy dresses and vaguely sensual dancing guarantees that at least some members of the crowd start paying attention. Then on bounds the man himself resplendent in a suit and bow tie that doesn’t quite fit, not that it matters, as during the next few thumping, crashing, blooping songs he proceeds to remove most of it anyway. Spod’s songs fall into three camps, the noisy electro ones, with thumping drum beats, lots of noises generated from an assortment of gadgets and unbelievably energetic vocals, The more anthemic guitar based songs (accompanied by ‘The Orsumators√Æ) and then those that straddle the two camps, shakily just about managing to keep a foot in each. Spod’s songs are great feats of arrangement, listening to the lyrics, the tunes and hooks, there is a lot more thought in them than may immediately appear, however it is the stage show that makes the night a memorable experience, rousing even the sleepiest audience into full on party mode. Streamers, party poppers, confetti, striping, dancing, ‘cheerleading’ and a whole lot of love make for one of the most enjoyable and memorable gigs of the year. Go Spod!

Published in InPress