Jill and I went with friend Richie to Neon Neon's sell-out Dublin show on Election Night.
Neon Neon, for the uninitiated, are a transatlantic indie supergroup comprising of Super Furry Animal Gruff Rhys, hip-hop producer Boom Bip, Welsh songstress Cate Le Bon, and "all-round" entertainer Har Mar Superstar.
Their debut LP Stainless Style, a retro-electronic concept album about the rollercoaster life of sports car creator John DeLorean, was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize in England.
It's my favorite LP of the year and, for pure entertainment value, this was my favorite gig. Here's my record of the evening:
In the taxi-cab on the way...
J: Do you recommend getting a sat nav?
Cab driver: Oh yeah, it's great...my friend has one with favorites. You can program your favorite journeys into it.
J: But... if you know the journey, why would you need to put it in a sat nav?
Cab-driver: Eh... I dunno.
The driver says the economic downturn hasn't stopped people drinking...
Cab-driver: Girl students who come up from the countryside are the worst. They're up in Dublin for the first time and they get totally wrecked. I had two piss in my taxi recently.
J: Ugh!
C: At the same time?
Cab-driver: Not that far apart. The first one fell asleep afterwards, and had no money. I brought her to the police station but they wouldn't do anything. The next one, I didn't realize 'til later. A girl got in and said the back seat was wet. I felt it, smelt it, but I couldn't tell. I thought somebody had spilled some water. But that was me off the road for the night. The next morning, I got into the cab and...eeugh.
R: You got a great whack of piss?
Cab-driver: Yeah. It costs me a bomb to get the car valeted.
C: Perhaps you should put up a sign.
Cab-driver: What, "If you piss, you pay"?
C: That should do it.
In pub beside gig, we meet friends Dave and Podge (who has a baby son).
Podge: I managed to get out tonight.
R: What, did you say, "Love, I'm just putting the bins out" and then run for it?
Podge: Something like that!
D: Richie, you're the only one who's not married or not getting married.
R: I know, it's like the song in Sesame Street: (sings) "One of these kids is not like the others/one of these kids is doing his own thing" (Pulls a sad face.)
C: What is the kid doing?
At the gig, the opening act is Yo Majesty, a lesbian Salt-N-Pepa from Florida.
Rapper: (talking to audience) "...pussy....pussy...pussy..."
J: She keeps saying pussy. I don't like it.
C: (Mimics) "Gimme yo' pussy!" No?
J: No.
Neon Neon arrive on stage. Gruff holds a sign, "Stainless Style – the lives, wives and tragic fall of John Z DeLorean".
American Voice: (from above) Hi! I'm John DeLorean! And I endorse all these songs about my life!
Gruff: (looks puzzled) Do you?
Voice: Yes!
Later, Gruff introduces "I Told Her On Alderaan"…
American Voice: Wait! What connection has my life with Star Wars?!
Gruff: (shrugs) Yes, it is rather tenuous.
On "I Lust You", Cate Le Bon sings backing vocals...
J: She looks like a supermodel!
C: She's easier on the eye than the usual scruffy oiks Gruff associates with, I'll say that.
R: (Ogling) Indeed.
C: She better watch herself back stage with Yo Majesty, "Gimme yo' pussy!"
"Cate Le Bon worked in a music shop where she used her height to reach top shelf items"
The comedy on stage goes into overdrive with the arrival of Har Mar Superstar. The band look bemused as Har Mar launches into a song in honour of Barack Obama.
Har Mar: (Acappello) "We are the world, we are the people...!"
Next, Har Mar raps brilliantly on "Trick Or Treat". He then does a hand-stand, while Gruff holds up a sign, "Applause!" Everyone cheers.
The band are a multi-talented bunch, constantly swapping instruments...
D: It's like watching the Beta Band.
C: With J Sherman from The Critic.
Gruff and Boom Bip close the show with a techno version of album slowy Stainless Style. Gruff is bashing the air with a pair of electronic drum-sticks that light up at the end when shaken.
C: Richie, you're a musician. What's that he's playing? I'll need to know for the review.
R: I don't know.
C: Thank you.
Behind the mixing desk after the show..
J: Can I have the setlist?
Sound guy: It's just a silly one for the lighting guy.
J: It's for my daughter.
Sound guy: Yeah, but it's just--
J: Just GIMME IT!
(He hands it over.)
"Dave, Gimme Yo Setlist, and Richie"
We go to the after-party, an indie disco where the music is brilliant and the students try to steal our drinks when we're dancing. (We're old but still nimble, kids!)
To top it off, Richie meets a lovely lady from L.A., who "heard the noise from my hotel and came down to investigate". (Hello, Heather!) According to Jill, she also looks "like a supermodel". Luckily Richie is model material, too:
Afterwards we watch election coverage, with Jill refusing to go to bed until Obama's victory was confirmed. Which it was. Hurray. "We are the world, we are the people..."
...
My Trusted MOGs
I missed your gig chatter awww! I also missed Neon Neon here....as I was verifying the show's sold status, I couldn't help but think in terror "Fluxy is gonna kill me, don't tell Fluxy". OH WAIT!
Eh, I never listen to myself anyway.
I never had to yell at someone for a setlist yet, good to know it works like a charm mwuahahahh!
Thanks for the report!
Poor cab drivers, the things they have to endure. I once barfed in a cab. Did I really just share that with you? Oh well ;P
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Hey Anna, or should I say Barfa (no, I shouldn't.)
I'm normally ambivalent to the bleats of taxi-drivers, but his tale plucked at my heart strings, put a lump in my throat, and had me checking my seat for dampness.
And listen, why go to any gigs when I can give you a blow-by-blow account that comprises 5% gig description and 95% taxi-driver chat?
Think of the money you'll save during the
My Trusted MOGs
"Cate Le Bon worked in a music shop where she used her height to reach top shelf items"
It's shit like this that keeps me coming back. Wow, a John DeLorean Rock Opera, that is so perfect. I'm looking for this one!
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Thanks Tyler - Yep, John had quite the life. Built an empire, then carelessly lost it, got done by the FBI on drug charges, and there was an affair with Racquel Welsh, which according to Gruff, "may or may not happened". The tunes are good, too. ;)
My Trusted MOGs
I'm going to have purchase this. It sounds awesome! What a weird super group. Thanks for clueing me in. I love the baroque synth solo towards the end.
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Great album Collin, I've been listening to this all day!
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ooh i've never listened to this band! looks like a fun show. lots of personality!
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@ Fistula - You're welcome, supergroups don't come more stranger. The album's full of magical moments like that outro. You won't be disappointed with your purchase (unlike those who bought DMCs) ;)
@ Dachmo - Good man! Great, isn't it? I posted a review and more tracks a while back:
http://mog.com/FluxCapacitor/blog/161154
@ Ardy - That's the word - personality. They have bags of it, even the drummer showed some by freaky dancing on the stage to the rave bit at the end. Thoroughly recommended if they pass your neck of the woods.
My Trusted MOGs
i luuuv Neon Neon, it's sooo addicting! (excuse the repeating oooff letters, i'm in the backseat of a moving vehicle ... no, not really. ;d)
Colin, i love riding cabs. or i used to love riding cabs until this post. jeez! and tell Jill she's the best asker of things, i swear. (;
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If I recall rightly, it was a post of yours that let me know the album was coming out. Much obliged, ma'm.
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Ya, poe lit this one up here too. If I had to pick one for the year, this would be right up there in the top 5...3! How do you remember all that iconic chatter, fluxy? Nice cop on the setlist, Jill! No matter, the play by play let me ride along in my dream car, taxi deodorizer at the ready...
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"No matter, the play by play let me ride along in my dream car, taxi deodorizer at the ready..." Hahaha. Man, that driver had the furthest thing possible from a dream car!
"How do you remember all that iconic chatter, fluxy?" With surprisingly little effort. Little effort being my speciality. Dublin is a regular pantomine if you tune your ears to it. Perhaps every other town, too. ;)
My Trusted MOGs
I've just got round to reading this...I like to savour your posts like a fine wine, he lied winningly. I like the comment on Cate, being in a similar situation myself...it gets really boring having to reach for the top shelf all the time, but on the upside you do get a good knowledge of everyone's bald patches.
I was reminded of a friend in LA who was in a boutique hotel in SF shortly after John got busted in that FBI sting. He walked into the bar and John was sitting at it, nursing a cocktail. 'How did he look?' I asked. 'Not very happy' came the reply. Admirable understatement! I wonder if the sting video is on YouTube - John really does the cliche "oh boy!" reaction when he sees the coke.