Sunday 9 January 2011

154 THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS, Trashcan Sinatras, Popinjays, London University Of London Union, Friday 16 February 1990

Back to ULU, with its' great bar, cheap prices and great football game machine; always a guarantee for a good night out! This was particularly the prospect for this intriguing gig from a quirky, funny new band recently introduced to me by PG. I don't know where he finds them from but I hope he doesn't stop! Fittingly, he was my gig buddy for tonight!

The Popinjays set was truncated by the overzealous roadcrew; a shame, as their Shop Assistants-style of ramshackle but sussed girlie pop was just getting going. Next up, The Trashcan Sinatras showed promise and invited comparisons with early Del Amitri and Aztec Camera with some well constructed strumalong Scottish pop.

As for They Might Be Giants? Well, this mad little two piece, backed up on rhythm by a ticking plinth-mounted metronome (!) were totally amazing! A headlong clash of cultures, styles, unorthodox noise and lyrics, played with humour, verve and huge talent by the two Johns, wielding guitar and squeezebox accordion respectively. What a strange, offbeat pair of Brooklyn boys, but what a great gig!

Oh, Jonathan King was there too, clad in orange camo (well, when you're Jonathan King I guess you can wear what you like, people are going to recognise you anyway), but he gave them a glowing write-up in his Sun music column the following week, under the heading "Fab Two Might Be The New Beatles"!

No comments:

Post a Comment