Twisted Charm

Twisted Charm, Chik Budo, James Chance & The Contortions at Camden Barfly, Camden Town, Tue 01 May

Review by Ben Myers

James Chance is to the saxophone what Jerry Lee Lewis is to the piano. In fact, with his loosened neck-tie, lurching, flopping duck’s arse quiff, electrified moves and evangelical preacher’s approach to wooing a crowd, he could be Jerry Lee’s scummier Lower East Side-dwelling kid brother...»

Camden Barfly

Capacity: 200

Nearest tubes: Camden or Chalk Farm Road

The Barfly club used to be at a tiny venue called the Falcon. The Monarch, where it is housed now, isn't an awful lot bigger. Well, the bar is. You will enter a bar and then have to climb some stairs to get to see the bands, so god help you if you're drunk. There is a small bar upstairs too. Be warned: pints cost £3 at the weekend.

Has seen recent secret gigs by JJ72 and Puressence. Also played host to The Barfly Sessions (Channel 4 TV) and Coldplay played among others. Grrrate.

Every small band wants to play here. On a good night, the sound is great and there will be a decent atmosphere. Can get really stuffy and cramped on a busy night though.

You will get your hand stamped with INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH ink when you enter. This will not wash off for at least a week, so you might get away without paying again in that time. ;-)

- Adie Nunn

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Twisted Charm

Nathan - guitar/vocals
Dom - drums
Dave - bass
Luke - saxophone

In their own words Twisted Charm aim to kick regurgitated rock & roll in the throat and replace it with a more modern, obstinate and unhealthy approach to making music; using sax, New Wave dance inflections and a fraught insistence to expunge the frustrations that seethe within provincial life, they create their own dark reality. This is a thoroughly modern band that sets the bar far higher than any of their contemporaries.

Now signed to new independent label Because Music, and with their debut album packed with the sort of exciting pop that comes around very rarely due out next year, just watch this band go...

Chik Budo

Chik Budo are a South East London five piece who marry the jazz experimentalism of John Zorn and the energy of post-punk luminaries such as Fugazi, with a thoroughly contemporary electronic dance bent. The end result is a hugely accessible blast of 21st Century Electro Jazz Punk that we're pretty confident will have you swinging from the rafters.

http://www.myspace.com/chikbudo »

James Chance & The Contortions

NY disco-punk sax molestor from the 70s.»