A.R.E. Weapons

The original excitement of attending gigs may have left my inner soul sometime ago, but tonight brought just that little twinge of interest that bore away from the mundanity of recent encounters.

Oxford's Black Nielson lacerated the sparse venue with the songs Grandaddy must have forgotten to write. The vocalist, delivering his melodies with that on-the-verge-of-cracking rawness, managed to enlight the spirits of The Monarch with these poppy-cum-spacey lo-fidelity musings. Understated choruses and delicate harmonies prove this band have so much on offer, and at such a young age, time to develop it too. Not a bad start at all...

Superstring are an entirely different beast, not necessarily for the worse. A much dancier ethic is involved with these spacey beats and samples and some genuine energy and intricacy on stage prove them not to merely be button pushers. With old cartoon imagery swirling behind them, it all added to the aura of this vastly impressive outfit. Think Air, only warmer.

Unfortunately the headliners ruined this almost perfect set up. A.R.E WEAPONS are the latest band to jump on the plane to Britain from New York and try and bask in the sunshine that has radiated from the behinds of The Strokes. The debut single released on Rough Trade is genuinely impressive, but in the live arena this is little more than a shambolic dirge. The vocalist merely attempts to slur and swear his way to the top in a less than convincing manner. This 'don't give a fuck attitude' comes across as more ignorant than blatant arrogance. The three piece, relying on the filthy beats they lay before us, really do believe they are 'it' and couldn't be further from the truth. Each song sounds almost an identical replica of its predecessor and even champion ligger Kate Moss made a swift exit with a rather bemused (pained?) expression. 'Street Gang' and 'Black Mercedes' lose their articulate brilliance in quite spectacular fashion, as it all collides in a guteral, shabby mess.

Beats, distorted bass, and swearing may enthrawl some, but on the face of it, A.R.E WEAPONS in a live capacity at least, are quite distastrous.