Keeping It Twee

The Royal We @ Madame Jojo's

It seems fairly pointless even trying to review The Royal We's concert in London on Tuesday. Usually concert reviews revolve around "hey, check this band out!"/"my God, they're rubbish. Avoid" or some sort of event (e.g. festivals, final concerts from major acts). But you can't go and see The Royal We unless you hurry up to Glasgow next week for their album release party, as they're about to split up. And they're not really big or important enough to be labelled as an event. Also, I must say that I didn't really enjoy myself too much.

(plus, they only played for twenty-five minutes, which, fair enough, it's not like they have acres of material to wade through, but seeing as how I'd made the trip especially for the concert, it made the night a little hollow)

Instead, I present an edited selection of my notes from the evening. Edited to make me seem like less of a loser who hangs out at concerts on their own (and as you'll see, it means the unedited version is even more morose).

Give me a piece of paper and I'l confess all my sins before the first band comes on.

Welcome to hipster central. I just want it to get started. I'm too awkward for the C86 revival. Too timid even for Sarah Records. The Field Mice would beat me up for lunch money while Action Painting look on.

The girls all look like they've stepped off the set of Billy Liar and the boys from a Wes Anderson film.

And All Stops And Starts. And Feedback Ahoy.

Did they really want to be here? Six of them cramming onto Madame Jojo's small stage. Sound system distorting the high end making my eye bleed. That's not right. The singer, Jihae Simmons is a cross between Bobin from Grange Hill and Robert Smith's hair mixed in with an American accent. Swoon. (note to reader who would like to try their luck: affect an American accent and I'm basically yours. Don't say I didn't warn you.)

Five, six songs? "This is our last song, and the last time we'll ever play in London". All done in 25 minutes. Back on the Underground. Piccadilly to Marylebone. Marylebone to Bicester North.

Hmm. That ends up being much more negative than I really meant. I mean, I'm still looking forward to getting the album in the next couple of weeks…

EDIT: My notes don't mention it, but seriously, how ace is How He Wrote Elastica Man? Very.

currently playing: The Indelicates – Sixteen