348: TBR@Joiners

We love The Boxer Rebellion in this house. They don't play the around here often enough - we're used to being in Birmingham where they play pretty frequently. They're one of the best-produced live bands I've ever seen so when I get wind that they're playing, I make effort to get there. It's difficult to make an associative recommendation of TBR because you should just like them. They don't write catchy pop tunes, but each of their songs sticks in your head. They aren't terribly brash or offensive, they're just a great-sounding band who clearly love what they do. This is the important factor for me.

All this being said, whoever picks their support acts needs to lay off whatever it is they're laying on. There's no need to book shitty indie-by-numbers bands to make TBR sound better because they are always great. Nevertheless, tonight was a douzie.

First "act" took the form of Red Drapes (I'm not linking to their myspace as that will cement an association with them and I don't want that), who were utterly awful. The whole band seemed totally bewildered by their surroundings and instruments in a way that didn't work at all. I've seen live acts fight with their instruments before and it can be a really effective show, but the key is to have good songs as a contrast. It becomes ironic, which you can appreciate in context. Red Drapes play safe, boring songs which seem to be trying to piggyback the latent Kaiser Chiefs success of over-anunciated narrative and little discernible musical talent. The less said about it, the better (though I'll probably say the most about them - it's so much easier to belittle than to give praise!).

Next up were female-fronted Kaputt. Don't think badly of me for making a deal out of the female member, because it's unavoidable. It's not very often I come across girl musicians who I would listen to more than once (I am personally obliged to mention the awesome Made out of Babies each time I talk about women in music) so I make a deal out of it. Kaputt will certainly not be everyone's cup of tea; simple-concept songs with very few lyrics, chanted rather than sung with the occasional 80s-sounding keys and a guitarist who's really just taking up space. A welcome swill of mouthwash to clear the nasty taste of Red Drapes (there's a crude metaphor in there - watch me sidestep it gracefully).

Onto the raison d'être. I won't ever be someone to say that anything is perfect, but TBR do their best to make that difficult for me. Because of their true indie upbringing, their live sound isn't far removed from that of the studio. However, to watch them is to truly appreciate just how much they enjoy doing what they do and this is the reason to go. A band that is inexplicably always the bridesmaid (once supported by the now-far-too-successful Editors) has never seemed disheartened and continue to lose themselves on stage - the minutes of their set just disappears. Playing a great range of tracks from both of their studio albums and their great rapport with the crowd makes you forget that the air conditioning is leaking on you and you're sweating horribly. It's not often I will tell someone to listen to a band but, The Boxer Rebellion, you should. Go to their shows (they will be near you at some point, I almost guarantee it), buy their CDs and enjoy them.

(Sorry, Piers. One day I'll come to a show and take only pictures of your dark-corner-hiding self!)

More photos of The Boxer Rebellion at The Joiners on May 15th 2009