Not on the Guest List

Hey You! Let's Party!

Be prepared, this appears to be novel length long, y'all. It gets less text heavy after the first handful (read: ten million) of paragraphs if that's any consolation

Where we last left off Klaxons had just finished their ecstatic set and as we all know, after the show is the after party. When I stepped up to the stage door before the show I was given a silver VIP wristband and instructions for the after party on a white business card pointing me towards Kitts in Sloane Square, open at 11.
As the audience poured out of the general concert area into the foyer I made my way upstairs again to the VIP area where everyone was beginning to get their drink on from the far over-priced bar. I really didn't have much to do, so I relented and purchased two shots of tequila and orange juice for myself at the price of ten pounds while on the phone with Meg.
Eventually they let us into the dressing rooms and it got fun!
How long had I been looking forward to the Fist Fite/Klaxons show the night before? Ummm... since April! I dropped the hint I wanted to go to the show when I saw them on Halloween and pitched a review of Fist Fite's set to my Willamette Week editor. No offer of glist was made, so four days before the show I straight up asked Fist Fite on myspace. No response. Maybe I didn't send the message? Nope - there it was in my sent folder. Maybe they didn't see it? Nope - there it was marked as "read." As soon as their UK tour dates started rolling I had been google searching "Fist Fite" with a combination of words hoping to turn up reviews so excited for what people were saying about their shows - didn't really turn up anything other than forum postings. So let's say it was a bit more than a mild disappointment when I didn't get to attend the show. Major bummer. I love Fist Fite/Klaxons shenanigans! Their double feature shows my favorite (as you'll see in my year end list).
Well Jonnie and Christian of Fist Fite were in the dressing rooms. First response - awkward! And you know what - it turned out not to be - at all! Apparently I was on the list the night before - they just didn't tell me... Jonnie said they only had three people on it.
Cue Simon el Capitan Strobe standing up from his spot sitting at the mirror saying "Nilina Not on the Guest List was on the list both nights!" Seriously - knowing I was actually on the list for their night - I don't know if that makes it even worse. Well, at least I got to see Klaxons in concert!
I wanted to talk with Simon seeing as I haven't see him since July and don't know what happened so that we didn't after the hug. I do remember Patrick Wolf giving me a head massage with Sally - his battery operated toy Chihuahua that he got in Japan (and that I thought he'd given to Fifi).
God though - it was so nice seeing Portland people! ie poor people hahahahahaha - man - that pound KILLED me. It's SO strong against the dollar! Too strong!
We got to talk yards versus miles and the delights of traveling on British roads with the aid of slightly outdated (due to rampant construction) navigation systems - a pleasure I'd experienced on the Lightspeed Champion tour a week earlier.
There were other enjoyable people there too - I was mistaken for 18 years old hahahahaha (an improvement cos everyone thinks I'm 16). The woman then encouraged me to take a gigantic bottle of Vodka that no one was drinking - saying if anyone caught me they'd think it was cute hahahahaha
Peaches Geldof was getting quite friendly with Claudio of Crystal Castles - literally -they spent SO much time talking on a couch. (WHY do I have the need to refer to him as Claudio Daddio? hahahaha)
Apparently "Metric are the worst band ever" according to Alice. We talked about their Portland show at the Wonder Ballroom and about their upcoming show with Health. Jonnie began the task of getting them to play a house show when they come to Portland. They said 'yeah' many a time - believe you me, my fingers are beyond crossed for that. I went to the Cute Alert after show when they were last in the Rose City, but left at 12:30 at which point they hadn't shown up yet.
Jonnie had some Brace Paine gossip (no pun intended) that Christian discouraged her from telling me. I'm not gonna type it now, but it may appear later. This came up when I started talking about the Feather Figure show I'm doing with him on January 27th that ALL Portland people BEST be coming to - it's at Someday Lounge - a night of noise. Prepare for your ears to bleed.
So many people looked familiar so the task began with a few of them of trying to pinpoint how we'd know each other.
Soon it was time to move it on over to Kitts minus Crystal Castles and Simon.
We made our way outside for cabs that everyone was pretty much too drunk to hail or call. Steffan and his coif made an appearance talking about the escapades of Klaxons' guitar tech Dreamboat for no apparent reason, saying that while his appeal was that of an angel, he is in fact "a sexual devil." He repeated that phrase too many times to count. "He's a sexual devil. He's a sexual devil, ..."
Okay...
We made our way around the corner and a fleet of taxis could be found. Jamie doled out a 20 pound note to Jonnie to get us over to the club and we were off - sharing the back of the cab with Trev and John who I'd met two weeks prior after coming back from a Lightspeed Champion concert in Bristol.

Dev and I went to the bar beneath his flat and then the party continued onto Trev's. That's also the night I met Alex who I was soon to meet again inside Kitts.
Is it odd how many times over the course of my trip "who's your favorite Klaxon?" came up? Seriously! That's all people talked about while I was in London. If Jonnie had Tigerbeat-esque posters of a Klaxons band member hanging on her wall it'd be Jamie, which I found surprising.
I had bought disposable cameras at Boots so I passed a couple out and wound mine for the first time.
We got to Sloane Square, but had a hard time finding Kitts. Fifi was on the sidewalk dressed as Santa.
Soon we found it - complete with velvet ropes and a bouncer who let us in even though none of our names were Dan. (Yeah - I just said that hahaha)
We had to give up the white card in order to gain entry.
The coat check was free monetary wise, but not of scorn. Seriously.
What I encountered all too often already during my 3 weeks over there, was manifested inside Kitts - excess breeds emptiness. That club was not empty in terms of capacity, so I believe you know what I mean.
Pretty much everyone was there - as it was alight with pretty young things. I instantly spied a Mystery Jet in the form of William,

Jamie T and Jack Penate whose face reminds me of a rip-off of the lead singer of Hadouken and that doesn't quite jive with me.
I chatted with Misshapes mascot Jackson about a DJ gig he'd abandoned in Miami to attend the gig instead.

I then ran into a pleasant looking guy who I'd seen ALL night - from the dressing rooms at Brixton to now Kitts - glass on, glasses off, glasses on. Turns out he is Tim Burgess - of Charlatans and that band with Carl Barat that plays once a year.

I still didn't know who he was until someone made the comment on my flickr as when we talked it didn't come up.
Jonnie, Christian and I made our way to the center of the dance floor and tore it up to The Knack's "My Sharona." Oh how fun it was. And guess who was behind the decks inside the most miniature DJ booth ever? Why it was only Justice!

And who decorated the outside of the booth? Why it was only BUSY P!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not even gonna get into why I don't have a picture with him, but Kinga took one of James and him. Jealous much? I know I am. I NEVER get my photo taken with bands, but managers are a whole 'nother field. I went fangirl for Simon White just three days later. Is that weird? hahahahahaha But god - Busy P - ahhhhh - be still my beating heart. The Ed Banger hancho was making out with a girl when I first spied him. I thought him and Nana were together, but this girl didn't look like her.
So the free bar at Kitts DID NOT include tequila. Kill me now. Seriously - don't just play the Killers b-side.
My impression of a single tear due to this travesty:

(my eyeliner took the impression literally)

I don't like beer - hell - I don't even like alcohol, but two shots don't even get me tipsy so I approached the bar on some crusade. That's when I spotted Alex in the corner with his NME editor Conor McNicholas. No - I didn't ask about Morrisey-gate. Alex and I had been texting for a good portion of the day - neither of them attended the gig due to a NME Awards launch shindig that Pete Doherty couldn't be bothered to turn up at.
Anyway - the bartender reconfirmed that tequila wasn't a part of the free bar, but quickly produced two shots of it - one for me and one for him. We did them and then shouted the lyrics "We Are Your Friends" at each other as Justice's DJ set followed the exact same set as the one at CSS - "Never Be Alone" directly following a Klaxons remix.

I wanted to introduce Alex to Christian and Jonnie, but we bumped into James on the way, prompting a mini-makeout session. Yeah it was hot. In the few seconds it lasted, my camera wasn't ready, so I made them restage it - a restaging that was a lot less amorous.

After James inquired as to whether Alex was coming to Japan the next day with them, Alex and I spent a good portion of the evening together briefly discussing red light amongst other things. We'll leave it there.
Later his co-worker Imran and I formed a tribute band to New Kids on the Block while I looked for the bathroom. We'd both be Donnie. Soon we were quickly engulfed in a group hug by Jamie as he stumbled across the club.
Patrick's sister Jo Apps was discussing how vacuous the atmosphere was. I quickly agreed. It was definitely fun, but the feeling couldn't be denied.
As I made my way out a certain chav-chic singer passed me - a Lily Allen who had stumbled in trashed to oblivion. She was supposed to DJ the party after Justice, but was too drunk. Did I ( and every blog on earth) forget to mention she's pregnant? Even in heels, she was a few inches shorter than me. Not quite a skinny-minny as the tabloids are referring to her as, but rather just slim and normal sized.
Luckily Christian who was holding my coat check ticket had left it with the coat-check girl, so I claimed my coat and was gone at 3am passing Peaches in the stairwell gabbing (sounded a bit like bitching :) about Lily.
When I got outside Trev and John were about to make their way back to Dalston - she'd found her coat which had gone missing earlier.
I caught the nightbus with Claire of Headless and took a picture of her and her flawless lipstick on a disposable camera that I have yet to develop. We talked some Test Icicles, mostly Sam who I'd heard from a few weeks before. Then we geeked out about Gmail and the fact we were the only ones without pockets deep enough for a cab ride home. It was so much fun!
The next day while over at Dev's he was changing his Lightspeed Champion myspace location to "Trashed: Fifi Brown, Guyana" - why? Cos that was a headline that accompanied paparazzi pics of everyone leaving the members-only club were in the papers the next day - including a pic of Fifi getting her Red Stripe on in her santa costume alongside an exiting James and Miss Allen. Pretty freakin' weird in that I was somewhere where paparazzi were and then where the pics of the night end up in all the London papers the next day. How bizarre.

I was informed by an accompanying article that guests at Kitts that night consumed:
32 bottles of Jack Daniels, 500 bottles of beer and 63 bottles of Grey Goose.
WTF! There was Grey Goose!?!?! I could've pretended to be Fergie!?! Re-do please! hahahahaha

More of my photos of the night can be seen in my flickr set o' Kitts.
Kinga has tons too in various groupage.

Fist Fite featured in a Klaxons Simian Mobile Disco NME tour diary.
>> 2nd photo in

"Theme from Vicarious Bliss" (Justice remix) Vicarious Bliss MP3

Why does this track want me to somehow start spelling my name with a Y and remind me of the Cure's "Lovesong" all at the same time?

As Above, So French Klaxons MP3 cos it ties into the abundance of EdBanger crew at their party :)

And I think all of us youtube alert know why this post's title takes it's name from an Andrew WK song (as many of my posts do lately actually...)

Four Horsemen of Brixton

The last time I saw the inside of Brixton was for a No Doubt show in June 2002. Well - the balcony still looks the same - a castle fit for kings, or rather four horsemen... from 2012 even if 2007 is already Klaxons' year. Brixton's website was finally changed day of to reflect the actual opening acts of night two of Klaxons' December residency and lo and behold - I was getting my chance the very next night to freak out to Justice!! - whoo!, but not SMD who I've yet to see live (only DJ) and was soo looking forward to and of course those shouty Canadians in the guise of Crystal Castles. Thanks to Klaxons' manager (and one of my newest myspazz friends) Tony, a photopass was waiting for me when I stepped up to the stage door after passing posting alerting the public to the band's ban of glowsticks. Trying to shake themselves of a genre/lifestyle tag, no? :) Or how about decreasing the chances of having to wear an eyepatch due to getting hit in the eye?

What time did I arrive? Despite getting into London just before noon and really not having anything too pressing to do other than find the cheapest possible clothes to buy to replace my curry stained jeans and a dress I didn't want to wear, I delayed my getting ready until 6 - which is around the time I would've needed to leave in order to shoot the first three songs of Crystal Castles' strobe heavy set. Yeah - I was uber-bummed at not getting to take them in, especially having missed them on the 4th at the Scala since I was still in Glasgow taking in Dan Deacon. But just as Bogart and Bergman "will always have Paris" in Casablanca, I knew I'd have my Crystal Castles and Health show at Holocene in Portland in a mere month, so I wasn't suffering too much.
By the time I arrived - guess what - Justice had not only already taken to the stage, but FINISHED. Ahhhhh!! Boooooo! Though little did I know, I'd have my chance to see them again in mere hours...

So what did that leave me with? Well - a lot - in the one act yet to play - Klaxons! One of their very final shows of the year and their final show in the UK of 2007.

With the lights down, I swear I heard some Franki Valli coming from the speakers before they entered onto the stage. Jamie shouted various proclamations and they predictably launched into "Bouncer." "How bizarre, how bizarre." Remember that song? I do and that's just what I had on my mind when Klaxons galavanted onto the stage in their silver gladrags and for the first time didn't introduce themselves as hailing from London. So crazy - mind warp! hahahaha They've done that at EVERY show I've seen 'em at to the point that the statement was as much apart of their set as their songs - hell - it had become a song.
He addressed the audience the whole night as Brixton.

Everyone's arms were immediately in the air - not just those against the barrier, but as far back as the door - and they stayed up - the whole time - everyone so ecstatic to be there!

Uh-oh - I spy glowsticks:

As I shot away I noticed that same look James always has - the look of singular vision - like he's an athlete - an endurance runner perhaps - fierce agility through the course all the while Simon blundered his way to the front of the stage - hunched over, cape flying.

Following the same setlist as they always do - the set was still mucho different from previous showings I've taken in. As always - in "Magick" there was that almost too long, just long enough to make everyone fervent brand of pause, but this time there was no dramatic towel flaunting by James. In fact, there were pauses a plenty throughout the night through many a song.

After the first three songs in the pit, I darted out to take in the concert from multiple perspective points. As soon as I'd made my way around the barrier I bumped into Akiko, who I hadn't seen since sleeping in her kitchen on my second night in the UK. It was rather amazing how few Klaxons friends knew if they'd be attending prior to the show. When I asked Alex if he was going two weeks before, he'd said he didn't know and same with Akiko. I'm really glad she was there - she'd wanted to be, but wanted to be invited instead of having to ask. Looks like the request came to her as she was up at the very front all a smile.
I made my way upstairs to the VIP area - there was no way I wouldn't be enjoying the concert amongst everyone else, but wanted to take a minute to see it from another perspective. I always tell myself I will immediately stop going to concerts if I ever have the desire to take them in a removed setting because to me, concerts aren't about that. From behind the plexi-glass once I'd made it up they'd made their way onto "Golden Skans" and what a treat that was to watch from above and just see everyone carrying on the "ooo-ooooo-oooo-ohhhh-ahhahhhs" as if they wanted to take the song to eternity.

The beautiful lighting also factored into the night - reflecting Klaxons as statuesque silhouettes - especially with the shades of purple during "Forgotten Works."

I realized it was the last show I was ever gonna see like this - them in support of Myths of the Near Future - with a setlist reflecting all the tracks to their credit. Oh the feeling of nostalgia for the present.

While I couldn't fight my way all the way back up to the front, I was happy to take in the show from my spot - I could see everyone just going crazy and have enough room to dance myself. By the end of the show they had silver confetti raining down.

And get this - there was an encore! An encore! First time I've ever seen that from Klaxons. Any special track you ask? Not really - they still closed with the chaos of "Four Horsemen," but this time exited the stage and returned before giving it a go with the gust of the cheering crowd.

Klaxons left the stage with a bow and salute. What a show to go out on - when they closed - they sealed the deal for everyone there. In need of a comeback by album two? Sophomore curse? When they return, so will everyone else.

More of my photos of the show here on f-f-f-f-f-flickr

Compare and contrast:

"Bouncer" (Demo) Klaxons MP3

"The Bouncer" (Original Mix) Kicks Like a Mule MP3

Part 2 of these MP3s coming in the Near Future (pun intended)

After party report+photos in my next post... I finally caught up with Fist Fite and didn't feel like the Mark Ronson to their Lily Allen (who was actually there too)

A Klax-a-laxin' good time

Did they bring it or did they bring it to the Doug Fir? They all-too-easily outdid their show at Dante's and so did the audience! There was no sitting down! There was dancing! (aided in part by Fist Fite's mid-set stage diving and subsequent moshing) This latest Klaxon's set was on-par with with their Crocodile Cafe set and each Klaxon seemed to feed off of the frenzy that developed that for sure had something to do with their exhuberence.

The quartet were dressed to the nines and joked onstage that they had attended a wedding earlier in the day. In reality they slept and thrift shopped.

James got all YACHT-y when it came to set closer 4 Horsemen - pausing to intricately fasten a bandana around his neck.

While Simon took on the guise of Alex Turner crossed with Albert Hammond Jr. in terms of guitar holding:

(with my Dreamboat "boyfriend" in the background hahahaha)

Dare I say it, but I cannot love Klaxons more. Actually, everytime I say it, my love for them gets outdone yet again. So let's hope that pattern holds for the next time they breeze through town one fine autumn day.

Set list:
Bouncer
Atlantis to Interzone
Hall of Records
Totem
Golden Skans
As Above So Below
Two Receivers
Magick
Forgotten Works
Gravitys Rainbow
Isle of Her
It's Not Over Yet
Four Horsemen

Afterwards, I snapped some random photos with Simon's film camera (fastest shutter speed in the biz, or so it'd seem) and then with my own. Marvel at Fist Fite's new full length:

Then we all hopped over to Bside for some shenanigans until everyone dissipated a bit after last call - Klaxons to catch some shut-eye before departing on a 10am flight in route to Pitchfork Festival, Justin - the latest edition to Fist Fite trying to make his way out to Linton or make-out in exchange for a place to sleep, and me and Marisa off to Alberta where we got accosted by a big group of gangster-ish guys knocking on our windows and saying that with as tinted of windows as we had they thought we were coming to shoot them. Yeah. But not before Simon's threats to quit the band and become a matchmaker.
Three and half hours later I was out the door for work still drunk (one of my shots purchased by the lovely Dreamboat. Simon at least got that far in his coupling plans :D).

'Gravitys Rainbow' Kavinsky Remix Klaxons MP3

Klaxons Audio Interview

Battle of the hyphenated surnames!
Nilina Mason-Campbell vs. Simon Taylor-Davis

My first Pitchfork feature! It wasn't even for Pitchfork either. It was for this blog, but then I realized Simon was saying things that more than two people should hear (understatement, but you know what I mean) so I clued my Pitchfork editor Scott into it and he said the most magical words to my ears "You're right." Rewind to this time last month and it hit the site in pretty much a lot of it's glory.

Simon was sipping diet coke (which you can actually hear at times). I however had been drinking tequila upstairs where we hung out for a little bit just prior to pushing record. I can be inarticulate when intoxicated. I couldn't even remember Hunter S Thompson's name! "He does road trips. . . He writes about Vegas. . ." - that's as close as I could come to naming him! It totally reminds me of in Can't Hardly Wait when Amanda is asking about Preston at the party and the guys are like "He has hair. . . he wears shirts sometimes."
Yeah, so just keep in mind I was a little drizz-unk during this hahahahaa

It was supposed to be a half hour interview, but we ended up chatting for two hours (including some drawing with chalk time).
We talk about their next album, future tours, the recording of Myths of the Near Future, the merits of Metronomy, Test Icicles, limos, Test Icicles, Philip K Dick, Fist Fite, the Strokes, Japan, Test Icicles, screen-printing, his girlfriend (now wife) Lovefoxxx and a whole lot o' other stuff too including Test Icicles. It's long. Listen to it.

Klaxons Interview Part 1 MP3 One hour, 5 minutes

*Note that it stopped recording, so it gets sketch in continuity between part 1 and part 2 when we pushed record again

Klaxons Interview Part 2 MP3 7 minutes

And you know what? I'd totally sound like this and be acting out a scene from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring the incredible Donny Osmond (which you can't see with this MP3 obviously) tipsy or not.

Needless to say, I absolutely adore Simon.

For much of the text, head on over to Pitchfork.

When it was edited, it totally came down to how many Test Icicles references could be included. I of course was like, "more, more!"

Additional >>>>>>>>>>>>

Photos that sync with the interview:
The limo:

care of Simon

James pre-intervention:

care of Ollie

Boring yet interesting mic check on behalf of Simon (only click if you want to waste 19 seconds of your life. I however did learn something from it):

Simon Mic Check MP3

Can somebody PLEASE remix this? Hahahaha

Wanna know how much of a delusional Metronomy geek I am? Read the comments on this screen cap cackle cackle

First ever gig:

My how they've progressed

Golden Skeins

Golden Skeins are self-described as "the first all-craft Klaxons tribute band, currently touring their debut album Knits of the Near Future."
I assume by album, they mean scrap-booked photo album - seeing as they're crafty and all.
After Meg and I stopped gushing about them after randomly finding the photo on flickr, I immediately sent it Simon's way. He found them "massive."
And you know what? They need to hook up with White Rainbow and release their stuff through his Yarn Lazer outlet.

Vocab of the day for those of you who are not so crafty -

Skeins : a length of thread or yarn, loosely coiled and knotted.

'Golden Skans' Klaxons MP3

'Golden Skans' Kaiser Chiefs (Klaxons cover) MP3

'Golden Skans' Erol Alkan Klaxons Remix MP3

I saw them once, I saw them twice

As above, so below - and Portland was a different reflection of the high Klaxons' achieved with their Seattle show. Before the show, Simon admitted he was feeling a bit dead as he ordered a diet coke for himself and the requested tequila for me. It showed on stage, and even off. They weren't anywhere near as visible mingling in the crowd as they were in Seattle. In fact, they were pretty much invisible until they took to the stage after yet another eccentric show from Fist Fite - they're second ever, and first in their hometown.

Jonnie's roommates formed the majority of the audience that was situated directly in front of the stage and when she asked for a cigarette, one very vocal one threw one at her with all his might as another audience member (and possibly another roommate) politely handed one up to her. My cries for 'Terminator' went unanswered, but they did play their interlude 'High Five Team/High Five Team-O' directly upon my shout for it. I'm almost scared of my level of fangirl-dom for them.

I think why Klaxons came off as a bit moody when they took to the Dante's stage was that they were put off by the fact that much of the audience remained sitting through out their set. And it'd be different if it was balcony seating, but it was right on the floor, right in front of the stage. Of course the US isn't going to have the mob-mentality of their shows in the UK and Europe, but still. . . enthusiasm enough to stand would have gone a long way. . .

They played the exact same set as Seattle in terms of setlist. Marisa's favorite was 'Golden Skans', which she wasn't expecting to translate as well live as it did and I felt 'As Above, So Below' was the best and had possibly the most dancable beat in terms of their songs' live recreations. They didn't have the same amount of contact with each other on stage in comparison to Seattle. I really think the reason for the difference in energy is that it was much easier to feed off of the frenzied energy of Seattle's crowd. They played with the house lights on, so everyone could be seen, and the audience was absolutely insane. Portland was absolutely subdued (aside from two couples who acted as if Dante's was their bedroom) and very dark in terms of venue and stage lighting.
They still put on a great show.
And still repeated that they were from London multiple times through out their set :)

The highlight of their set was undoubtedly when Fist Fite's Jonnie's energy spilled onto stage, in the form of her jumping on, doing stationary running for a few beats, and then playfully assaulting (:D) by means of tickling and biting each member as they ended their set.

'My Love' Klaxons Justin Timberlake Cover MP3

Afterwards, Jamie was DJing at Rotture with DJ Joee Irwin. Marisa and I went to the Tube first

(spy one of the Candy Cane Shivs of Reverse Dotty getting down in the crowd in his striped top)

and got down to DJ Linoleum as she played some Daft Punk and Cassie, then made our way over to Rotture around 12:30-ish. It was pretty dead. It was moved from the downstairs portion known as Branx since a sub had blown the night before. It was SO dark upstairs.
This is where I become ashamed.
I decided to leave.
At the door DJ Joee Irwin wondered how I could leave - it was free! I was tired though. Then, this is where I don't even want to continue typing my future regret, he noted that Junior Boys would also be playing a set. And I still left!
This is the type of night I want to move to Berlin for, but really the atmosphere was so lacking and that's a big part of the experience. Maybe twenty people were sitting at tables, no one dancing, house music overhead and I just could not suspend my disbelief long enough to believe that this would turn into an unmissable party that would somehow keep me awake, involved (as Marisa had to leave), and be worth a 20 dollar cab fare home that I just barely had. I heard second hand that the last three Junior Boys songs killed. . .

Friend Fist Fite NOW:
www.myspace.com/fistfitefistfite

and while you're at it, friend DJ Linoleum too!
www.myspace.com/djlinoleum

PDX Gossip Roundup

I've still yet to finish my Klaxons+Fist Fite review I posted yesterday (now finished) and have yet to post a review of last night in Portland, but it's Gossip time!

➔ Fresh off opening for Klaxons for their first ever shows, Fist Fite will be joining Klaxons on their UK headline tour later this year!!!!!! Brooklyn's Shy Child are along for Klaxons' UK May ride.

➔ Got a message from Nathan aka Gossip's Brace Paine. Guess what they did in LA? Aside from Beth hanging out with Kate Moss, they had a meeting with RICK RUBIN! Speechless! He said it was surreal. I am in love with Rick Rubin! He slept with his parents in their bed until age 18 and what he did with Def Jam in his NYU dorm room is what made me want to go to NYU (though I eventually never even applied)

'Rick Rubin' Spank Rock MP3

➔ Men's Journal magazine contacted me last week about Portland music photography as their summer issue is a music issue and they're doing a feature on the Portland music scene! I sent mine over of Quasi, Hey Lover, the Shins, Viva Voce, Gossip, Y.A.C.H.T., Panther, and the Thermals (all linking is to my photos of each act on flickr). I think they're passing on my photos, but it's still pretty sick that Portland music is drawing this attention!

➔ Yacht has his CD release party next Saturday at OMSI on May 5th 2007. Doors at 8:30, show at 9pm. GO if you live in Portland and are in town! Adrian Orange who went to my middle school (and high school for a portion of freshman year) is playing as is E*Rock and of course the man of the evening is doing a set as well. A concert at OMSI! Too cool!
Tix are available at Jackpot Records, but haven't appeared yet online on Brown Paper Tickets

Here's a cool video Y.A.C.H.T. made of Portland bands at this year's SXSW:

From Seattle to Interzone

Fist Fite were up first at Crocodile Cafe in Seattle. On the promoter's (Monqui) website, it always compares it's musical acts to acts the site's readers would be more familiar with. For Klaxons it was: "Sounds like Test Icicles." I love how they picked a more obscure act to compare them to. In reality, Fist Fite are closer to Test Icicles' crown. They are the sound of spazz-core with electro undertones - they don't give a shit - it's all about getting through their set however possible - whatever that entails and last night, it brought about a lot of fun. They don't take themselves seriously at all, which I learned from TI is the most important thing possible.
They're do it yourself-ers, much in the vain of TI. They made their own shirts the night prior with ink pens to sell. They made CDRs - then on stage said it was actually the music of their former band on the discs -a band that sounds nothing like what they sound like as a duo, but that's all they had.
In the middle of one song, lead singer Jonnie decided she no longer wanted to play the tune, so they stopped.
Towards the end - two songs away from the close of their short set it didn't look as if she'd make it through, what with her hand on her forehead and deep breathing.
"Are you going to be okay?" a teen shouted from the audience.
"You know what, I could really use some glitter right now."

And glitter she got. An over-enthusiastic boy reached out to pass her some and she demanded that he join her onstage and put it on her himself.
Cue glitter interlude.
They were so utterly brilliant! They exited the stage with a hug - this was apparently their first ever show as Fist Fite. Pretty great opening slot!

Fist Fite MP3

How I love me some Klaxons! My first exposure to them was in the Islanders issue of British Vice is early early 2006 with a picture by Pegah - Vice mascot and sister to their frequent music video collaborator Saam Farahmand. I fell a bit in love with them after visiting their myspace and tried to orchestrate seeing them before I left the UK in March while they were still unsigned, but to no avail since I didn't have the money to go down south (even though it was only 10 pounds return on National Express at the time).
So I waited and waited. And waited some more. And finally I saw them last night.
I remember my surprise upon first hearing one of their album tracks.
"There are guitars in it?"
I knew they used guitars, but there was never any obvious guitar sound in their demos - just electronics.

Last night, their sound surprised me again. They are way punk on stage - way stripped down, way guitar, collapsing onto each other with un-contained energy. Still very danceable - when you're not crushed against the stage.
Simon spit his drink onto the audience in regular intervals and the front of the stage descended into a rough, but friendly mosh pit.
There was an orange netting divider in the middle of the venue, separating the drinkers, from the all ages.

As soon as they got on stage, Simon said he didn't want to be on his current side, because then he couldn't drink. He really wanted to trade with James. James assured him it didn't apply to the people on stage, but he wasn't having any of the rationalizing and walked over to stand on the side of the stage in line with the over 21 segment of the crowd and asked for a drink, at which point someone in the front row passed up theirs, and he drank a sip before handing it back.
Throughout the night they traded vocal duties, instruments and mics - a constant criss-crossing of the stage.
Jamie and James teased Simon on stage about him getting a tattoo of his girlfriend's name before the show. I'm not sure if he really did get one, but him and Lovefoxxx seem to be super serious.

The CSS sticker he has on his guitar was cute.

For Magick they stopped towards the end and took a toweling off and drink break, before finishing the song out.

Their live show is so great that I think they'd please a music fan of any genre, winning them over on their energy alone. They really engaged the crowd last night - complimenting a guy in the back on his persistent clapping, telling a few people up front how they felt their pain (due to the crush of the mosh). They dedicated a song first to the all ages section, then feeling as though they were leaving out the over 21s who self admittedly "sucked" (as one audience member shouted) they dedicated a song to them, and finished out their dedication tri-fecta by dedicating the next song of the set to Portland's own Fist Fite, with whom they became fast friends.
They continually said they were from London - as if it was impossible to tell.
There was no encore.
They are so unpretentious. I wasn't expecting any pretension, but for the level of hype and success they've rightfully achieved, you'd kind of expect them to be a little bit distant or removed. Not so. They were out with the audience the entire night, even late to appear on stage due to conversations with concert-goers. And as soon as the show ended, they jumped off stage and went outside, engaging in even more conversations and photo taking.

Klaxons set list:
Bouncer
Atlantis to Interzone
Hall of Records
Totem
Golden Skans
As Above So Below
Two Receivers
Magick
Gravitys Rainbow
It's Not Over Yet
Isle of Her
Four Horsemen

All my Klaxons photos here on flickr

All my Fist Fite photos here on flickr (including more glitter action!)

Not Over Yet

So way back when I included the youtube vid of Klaxons and Lightspeed Champion covering 'It's Not Over Yet' in a post. I'm actually kinda shocked they included a cover on their debut. I marveled to everyone today about their position at number one in the mid-week charts, but I only got a few people to feign excitement. Here's to seeing them at Coachella this year (trying to arrange how I'll get from LA to the desert which is the same problem I had in '04) and here is the youtube vid of the original song:

Compare and contrast

'It's Not Over Yet' Klaxons MP3

Lightspeed Champion sure gets around

So immediately after watching this I had a dream where a supposed friend of mine planned a horrendous birthday party for me. Both in the dream and real life she is a supposed friend and in the dream she asked what I wanted. I gave a precise list and then she goes and arranges a slumber party in my former elementary school Edwards. That would be great, only it's her plan to show horror movies-which is the opposite of great. The second the guy comes out in the ski mask on screen I am screaming and screaming, so the party immediately switches to live entertainment. Only it's my least favorite band (I can't remember who, but it surprisingly wasn't Weezer).
Anyway, with enough protest, I get my way and Klaxons come out to close out my party at midnight. Mind you in my dream this is all occuring in Portland. Yeah. . . so close to reality.

So here is Dev, ex-Test Icicles as he's so frequently billed on every DJing flyer known to man in London (Nambucca, People Are Germs, Cyrille Regis, Spiel Club). He's performing above with Klaxons, in which resides one of his good friends Simon.

Here he is with Whirlwind Heat. They toured with Test Icicles earlier this year in the UK.

'How Do You Do' Lightspeed Heat MP3

Oh god-and Acid Slutz too. Best give up while ahead. I'd be here all day listing all his collaborations and projects, all of which sadly no longer includes Naked Babes.

Myspace: www.myspace.com/lightspeedchampion