kelzadiddle (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kelzadiddle) wrote2011-07-15 11:56 pm
kelzadiddle) wrote2011-07-15 11:56 pm
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Gig Review: Xander and the Peace Pirates
THE ZOO bar is the last place I’d associate with a rock concert. I’ll admit, prior to my pre-gig meeting with Keith Xander at the venue, Zoo was something I’d only ever pass while trudging to get the last bus home, alarmed by the noise of club music and revellers within.
On Friday July 15, however, Zoo became a different animal. The stage was set and as I arrived, fashionably late because of an unprecedented Godzilla attack (alright, Jason was taking ages to get ready... it’s sort of the same thing!), the music had already begun.
A six-piece band - John Player Specials – was already blowing minds with their no-nonsense blend of ska, punk and reggae. The trumpet and trombone caught eyes and ears immediately, blasting out a funky counterpoint to the driving ska-punk grounding of their music.
Theirs were songs that took you by the shoulders, shook you about and left you flailing – as evidenced by the four or five dedicated punks who were going out of their minds on the dancefloor. It’s not hard to see why – you can't stand still to their lively, up-tempo tunes.
With a couple of songs left to go, more and more people were trickling into the bar for the star attraction: Xander and the Peace Pirates. I saw the man himself, Keith Xander with Mil, the lovely lady who’d also been there at our pre-gig meeting, and there were brief hellos stifled by the last songs of the John Player Specials set. The last notes rang out, the devoted punk fans immediately sobered up and moved on.
Good though they were, John Player Specials were small preparation for what was to come. As soon as Xander and the Peace Pirates took the stage and kicked off their set with ‘Fire’, it was easy to see why they’re rising stars. From the get-go their music found that seemingly impossible equilibrium between retro and modern. They’re audibly in the here and now, but they still manage to take you back to the days of Hendrix and Floyd in their prime.
Their set list was an impressive selection of songs from their debut album, ’11’, intertwined with an excellent choice of covers; songs that everyone could instantly identify: ‘All Along the Watchtower’ by Dylan/Hendrix, though Hendrix’s cover had ten times the fire of the original, Pink Floyd’s classic ‘Another Brick in the Wall’, ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, and to close the gig, a beautiful rendition of ‘Purple Rain’ by Prince.
You’re probably thinking, ‘Wait a moment. Katy Perry?’ And yes, while the pop princess seems a bizarre sore thumb amongst these giants of classic rock, Xander and the Peace Pirates won, here, what is a very risky gamble for a lot of bands. They chose a song that everyone knows but normally clashes so wildly with their set list, put their own stamp on it and it fit the bill perfectly. Plus, by choosing such an unusual song, they surprised people – it’s certainly something that will stay with me through the years: the rock band that played Katy Perry, brilliantly at that, alongside Pink Floyd.
Which, coincidentally, they also did brilliantly. ‘Another Brick’ is a song I’ve so often heard ruined or played ‘textbook’ live, but the Peace Pirates again made it theirs.
One of the things I was looking forward to, I must admit, was seeing Keith play. As I’ve already covered, he was born without his right hand and plays with a split hook where he can hold a plectrum. I, rather naively, assumed that he’d only be able to play rhythm guitar because of this.
Oh no, how wrong I was! Clearly I’ve got the wrong Xander: Keith plays lead, and his brother Stu plays rhythm. And not only does Keith play lead, he does so with an awesomely tight, precise style that took me entirely by surprise. Stu on rhythm, John on bass and Jake on drums provided a solid foundation – they were the sea on which Keith’s zany lead guitar thrashed, while Chris Howard’s wild keyboard homed in from across the eras.
As live bands go, they know what makes an audience tick and really engaged with the crowd. They chose songs you could sing along to, songs to draw you in and get you involved. Keith and John’s antics both on and off stage provided a treat for those who’d gone along expecting a typical gig. More than once they’d jump off the stage and prowl the crowd, grinning wildly and playing at members of the audience – Keith especially. He wound up behind the bar at one point, playing amongst baffled staff, and he and the bassist ended up playing on the stairs leading to Zoo’s upper floors. It was a madness that few bands would dare to attempt, and even fewer would pull off. I got the genuine impression here of a band far too big for the venue.
Xander and the Peace Pirates are so engaging as a live act that I completely forgot myself. I was the crowd, I was the music and the band – we were all parts of a greater being made of pure adrenaline, set on fire by the sound and struck by lightning. The gig was pure euphoria.
In fact, here’s a good indicator as to how awesome the gig was: I nearly missed my bus for it! As they launched into their final song of the night, ‘Purple Rain’, it was already 11:05 – and the song was ten minutes of sheer brilliance with everyone singing along. As soon as it ended I made a mad dash for the stage, took a copy of ’11’, threw a tenner at the bassist and literally legged it to get the bus. ‘I’m No Good’ has been stuck in my head for days afterwards.
Do we give gigs and albums star ratings here? Sod it, I’d give this gig 7/5 stars. I’ll go one better than one better!
Many thanks to Paul and the band for arranging a brilliant gig, and the hobnobs were much appreciated!
On Friday July 15, however, Zoo became a different animal. The stage was set and as I arrived, fashionably late because of an unprecedented Godzilla attack (alright, Jason was taking ages to get ready... it’s sort of the same thing!), the music had already begun.
A six-piece band - John Player Specials – was already blowing minds with their no-nonsense blend of ska, punk and reggae. The trumpet and trombone caught eyes and ears immediately, blasting out a funky counterpoint to the driving ska-punk grounding of their music.
Theirs were songs that took you by the shoulders, shook you about and left you flailing – as evidenced by the four or five dedicated punks who were going out of their minds on the dancefloor. It’s not hard to see why – you can't stand still to their lively, up-tempo tunes.
With a couple of songs left to go, more and more people were trickling into the bar for the star attraction: Xander and the Peace Pirates. I saw the man himself, Keith Xander with Mil, the lovely lady who’d also been there at our pre-gig meeting, and there were brief hellos stifled by the last songs of the John Player Specials set. The last notes rang out, the devoted punk fans immediately sobered up and moved on.
Good though they were, John Player Specials were small preparation for what was to come. As soon as Xander and the Peace Pirates took the stage and kicked off their set with ‘Fire’, it was easy to see why they’re rising stars. From the get-go their music found that seemingly impossible equilibrium between retro and modern. They’re audibly in the here and now, but they still manage to take you back to the days of Hendrix and Floyd in their prime.
Their set list was an impressive selection of songs from their debut album, ’11’, intertwined with an excellent choice of covers; songs that everyone could instantly identify: ‘All Along the Watchtower’ by Dylan/Hendrix, though Hendrix’s cover had ten times the fire of the original, Pink Floyd’s classic ‘Another Brick in the Wall’, ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, and to close the gig, a beautiful rendition of ‘Purple Rain’ by Prince.
You’re probably thinking, ‘Wait a moment. Katy Perry?’ And yes, while the pop princess seems a bizarre sore thumb amongst these giants of classic rock, Xander and the Peace Pirates won, here, what is a very risky gamble for a lot of bands. They chose a song that everyone knows but normally clashes so wildly with their set list, put their own stamp on it and it fit the bill perfectly. Plus, by choosing such an unusual song, they surprised people – it’s certainly something that will stay with me through the years: the rock band that played Katy Perry, brilliantly at that, alongside Pink Floyd.
Which, coincidentally, they also did brilliantly. ‘Another Brick’ is a song I’ve so often heard ruined or played ‘textbook’ live, but the Peace Pirates again made it theirs.
One of the things I was looking forward to, I must admit, was seeing Keith play. As I’ve already covered, he was born without his right hand and plays with a split hook where he can hold a plectrum. I, rather naively, assumed that he’d only be able to play rhythm guitar because of this.
Oh no, how wrong I was! Clearly I’ve got the wrong Xander: Keith plays lead, and his brother Stu plays rhythm. And not only does Keith play lead, he does so with an awesomely tight, precise style that took me entirely by surprise. Stu on rhythm, John on bass and Jake on drums provided a solid foundation – they were the sea on which Keith’s zany lead guitar thrashed, while Chris Howard’s wild keyboard homed in from across the eras.
As live bands go, they know what makes an audience tick and really engaged with the crowd. They chose songs you could sing along to, songs to draw you in and get you involved. Keith and John’s antics both on and off stage provided a treat for those who’d gone along expecting a typical gig. More than once they’d jump off the stage and prowl the crowd, grinning wildly and playing at members of the audience – Keith especially. He wound up behind the bar at one point, playing amongst baffled staff, and he and the bassist ended up playing on the stairs leading to Zoo’s upper floors. It was a madness that few bands would dare to attempt, and even fewer would pull off. I got the genuine impression here of a band far too big for the venue.
Xander and the Peace Pirates are so engaging as a live act that I completely forgot myself. I was the crowd, I was the music and the band – we were all parts of a greater being made of pure adrenaline, set on fire by the sound and struck by lightning. The gig was pure euphoria.
In fact, here’s a good indicator as to how awesome the gig was: I nearly missed my bus for it! As they launched into their final song of the night, ‘Purple Rain’, it was already 11:05 – and the song was ten minutes of sheer brilliance with everyone singing along. As soon as it ended I made a mad dash for the stage, took a copy of ’11’, threw a tenner at the bassist and literally legged it to get the bus. ‘I’m No Good’ has been stuck in my head for days afterwards.
Do we give gigs and albums star ratings here? Sod it, I’d give this gig 7/5 stars. I’ll go one better than one better!
Many thanks to Paul and the band for arranging a brilliant gig, and the hobnobs were much appreciated!