Biebershambles

Simon and I arrive too early and pop out for a decent pint and mini pool comp on undersized table. Back into Xoyo just in time to catch the last strains of a support band who looked and sounded like ageing hippies wincing theatrically to feedback. There's been a lot written about recent "post-Punk" bands but these lot were pre-Punk and the reason why Punk just had to happen. Next up some post-Punks (just about) with singer guitarist (very dodgy, for both) and keyboardist (very good). Drum machine industrial depression music ironic for a trendy London club full of kids but I enjoy the synths and drum machine. Simon don't. The baby brat Justin Bieber is on at O2 and arrives 2 hours late to the dismay of thousands of teenyboppers, at the same time our boys Egyptian Hip Hip only keep us waiting 20 minutes, mildly irritting the Xoyo's teenyboppers who are most likely the older siblings of the O2 crowd. Better timing than the last time I saw the Hip Hop boys west country field and when they were late but shambolically brilliant. Simon can stop reading here as he hated them and left early - a first in 35 years of gigging with me. Heavy funk slap bass with sharp punky drums at times hitting an inspired backbeat between the two of them form the solid foundations for the overlaid meanderings of mad guitar and keyboards. The lanky haired singer flits between singing, moaning and muttering into the mic both during and between songs. He seems lost in an ethereal world and at one time is chatting away into his water bottle between songs only realising his mistake when goes to drink from the mic. I'm not quite sure if he's antagonising the crowd or not (bar Simon) but when he wanders into the crowd for one song singing from the throng and crowd surfing they seem to love it. With a bit of crowd surfing he throws his slipper shoes on stage but his white socks are pulled off as trophies and once back on stage he seems to have lost his mic. Cue more on stage shambling about with roadie trying to sort him out (I think he's been clutching the mic all along) and with the bassist watching in  resigned amusement. The music goes from 80s electronic post new romantic clubbing tunes to a climax of white noise with the drum and bass powering us onwards and upwards for a climatic finale. Great! Nay inspired!!

L-R shoegazing guitarist slap bassist dreaded keyboardist

Centre stage Captain Shambolic

Cranking up

Neither Egyptian or Hip Hop possibly Hip