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Ensemble troubadours, The Magic Tombolinos*, led by founder, vocals and stax of sax, Alejandro Toledo, brought their celebratory eclectic mongrel mash up genre-busting, idiom defying music to The Hare this evening. And what fun it was and full on credit to promoters, ‘World Unlimited’ for their ever valiant, non-profit making ethos of lending deserved support for all manner of diverse artists. |
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Well, nearly there. The turkey’s already on, the mulled wine’s bubbling away and Bad Santa’s in the DVD player. Bliss. Just before I attempt to consume my own body weight in stuffing however time for one last review...almost literally given the sheer insanity on offer this evening. The night kicked off with local folk collective, Sylvia, who endeared themselves to my heart simply by covering Frankie’s Power Of Love track, not a traditional Christmas classic I’ll grant you but for people of a certain age (i.e. ancient) always associated with this time of the year. Covers aside they’ve got some fine self penned tracks too, with gentle harmonies giving way to slightly rockier riffs. |
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Without wishing to put unpleasant images into your head (as if that’s ever stopped me) I’ve been suffering from a nasty case of the old norovirus this week....projectile ‘emissions’ ahoy. How can one tiny little virus cause such mayhem eh? Mindful of the fact that music heals all however I dragged what’s left of my severely desiccated frame off to the Hare and Hounds in the hope of making a Lazurus like recovery. |
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Ok, ok, ok. So I'm about 10 minutes late. I gather this because as I'm walking closer to the Hare and Hounds I hear a soft rumble of bass from over a street away. It seems as though Seams has already started his set. |
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Wolf Gang, aka Max McElligott, and collective fine musicians has created his own engaging, idiosyncratic style, which, in this reviewer’s opinion, draws on some of the 1980s more noble attributes such as Howard Jones and Simple Minds. Some hear homage to Davids Byrne/Bowie. Not a derivative comparison but just little tingles of nostalgia and again, this is my impression, a tickle of Arcade Fire’s majestic harmonies and crescendos. |
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Imagine having the top of your head lopped off, your brains scooped out with one of those ice cream scoops, placed carefully on the floor, battered with a series of blunt objects, then carefully put back in your skull again...that’s pretty much what tonight’s gig was like. |
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Man, that’s some powerful voodoo going on there. How else could you explain the sudden transportation of the Hare and Hounds from humble ol’ Kings Heath to the darkest depths of the Mississippi delta eh? Yep, shut your eyes tonight and you can almost hear the ‘gators a snappin’ at yer heels (if they hadn’t all been poisoned by several trillions of gallons of oil that is). |
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As angry clouds of volcanic ash sweep across the country from our dear friends in Iceland (presumably in part-payment for the £400 gazillion they owe us?), an (at times) equally angry Kate Nash is doing likewise, bringing her all new Riot Grrrrllllllllll act to the Hairy Hounds. I can’t believe it’s been three years since her debut but I guess, looking back, all the signs were there. Beneath the cutesy talky talk vocals there was plenty of bitterness...sorry bittahness (yep, must be all those lemon’s she’s been eating). Now she’s come out in praise of Le Tigre and Bikini Kill and, at times, tonight’s gig reminded me of those far off days when Riot Grrrl’s Voodoo Queens reigned supreme (was anyone else out there at their Edwards Gig in 1993? Oh. Just me then). |
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Whilst the rest of the nation is witnessing the first historical (or should that be hysterical?) debate between our three ‘glorious’ ‘political’ ‘leaders’ the Hare & Hounds is playing host to a different (and much more enjoyable) brand of insanity in the form of Bavaria’s number one brass/dance/euro pop/mariachi band. Okay, admittedly there aren’t that many Bavarian brass/dance/euro pop/mariachi bands, but even if there were I think you’d have to go some to beat the sheer joyful exuberance of LaBrassBanda. |
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It’s getting pretty popular this reforming business isn’t it? Name a band that split up at any time in the last 50 years and there’s a fair chance – at some point – that they’ll put their ‘musical differences’ aside, forget the fact that the drummer shagged his way through the rest of the band’s significant others (and ate all of the crab sandwiches backstage) and head out on tour...with varying degrees of success. The highest profile reformers du jour are, of course, The Libertines. A band that hit its peak way back in the early noughties, not unlike tonight’s headliners in fact. Although I doubt whether any of King Adora have shagged Kate Moss and burgled Carl Barat's flat...then again... |
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Ladies make up 50% of the human race (roughly). Strange then that relatively few of them seem to make it into bands. Why is that? Answers on a thong please. Tonight there were plenty of ‘em though. Ladies that is. Maybe there were plenty of thongs too, I wasn’t looking, although the barman was walking a bit funny... |
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Fancy seeing ‘Girls’ at the Hare and Hounds? It took me a moment to realise that it wasn’t an invitation to letch at the fairer sex (not that I’d do such a thing... being a gentleman and all that... the short-sightedness doesn’t help matters either), but instead the chance to see a band called ‘Girls’, which, of course, doesn’t feature any. Pfff. |
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Tonight’s gig was free entry for all (well, all of us who could fit into the Hare & Hounds that is) courtesy of Birmingham Promoters. Bless ‘em. You don’t get much for free these days. Infectious diseases, ASBO’s… er… that’s about it. |
