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Lightspeed Champion, Pete & The Pirates and McFly – Week of Gigs

Posted on 13. Jul, 2008 by Ashley in Live Reviews: All
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The Likesounds.com team is very lucky to be invited to rare little shin-digs and parties where some some of our favourite bands are playing. Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly took us on a bus tour and played stuff from his new album a few months ago. We chatted to The Rascals before they played to 100 people in an east end pub and, at the same gig, bumped into Carl Barat who told us about the new Dirty Pretty Things record. It seems we are in the right place at the right time quite a lot.

Never mind Dirty Pretty Things, Get Cape or The Rascals because tonight it’s all about international popstars McFly. Yes, McFly. They have recently ditched their recording label and gone all DIY with Super Records.

Shepherds Bush Empire (10th July) was venue of choice (or probably the only one that could take the high frequency screams from the 90% female crowd). The crowd bounced and screamed along for an hour to new songs ‘One For The Radio’, ‘Last Song’ and ‘Do Ya?’ as well as old crowd pleasers ‘Obviously’, ‘It’s All About You’ and their debut from 2004 ‘Five Colours In Her Hair’. This band are one that might just survive the split from their over-bearing record label. This writer says: I enjoyed it, surprisingly.

Also causing a scream this week, albeit a more quiet & reserved scream, were Pete & The Pirates as they played along side Lightspeed Champion as part of the iTunes Festival (8th July, KOKO).

I could have watched P&TP at Brixton last month as they supported Pigeon Detectives but I was suffering from Chav-Music-Lover syndrome. (It’s a condition bought on by chav-indie music. Expect sweat & piss, and a cure the second you leave the venue).

This ignorance lead me to miss one of the best bands around. I make up for it (almost) by seeing half of their slot at tonight’s gig. They are stunning live and a must. See them @ Tap N Tin on 21st August & myspace.com/peteandthepirates for more dates.

Up to now I’d avoided Lightspeed Champion. The former Test Icycle seemed to me to be boring and lacklustre. I was so wrong. Playing the headline slot, just after iTunes hit us with a ten minute video promoting their festival, he seemed comfortable letting his music speak for it’s self. His style varies from acoustic through to electric, with most tracks led by skilled drummer Anna Prior (Dead Disco, The Ivories).

He is a skilled lyricist, guitarist and showman. See him at Concorde 2, Brighton on the 23rd July and myspace.com/lightspeedchampion for more dates.

Songs!
Lightspeed Champion Ft Florence – Mr Fisk.mp3
Lightspeed Champion – Tell Me What It’s Worth.mp3
Pete & The Pirates – Mr Understanding.mp3
Pete & The Pirates – She Doesn’t Belong To Me.mp3

Tags: Lightspeed Champion, Pete and the Pirates