I recently read a magazine review of a Faster Pussycat concert in USA where the journalist suggested that "it was time for this cat to be put down". Now it might have been something to do with him not liking their 2009 album - "The Power and the Glory Hole" being drastically different to their self titled album of 1987. However unlike their peers at least they have updated their sound and so try not to live on past glories (unlike some bands I could mention). For the record Faster Pussycat are my favourite band of all time. They never really toured the UK in their heyday (although they toured here in 1987 with Gun's N Roses - which I missed). However they have certainly made up for it recently. To give them their dues, in the last 9 years they have toured the UK 6 times and on each occasion I have seen them (and not just in London). As a point to note Taime Downe's is the only original member of Faster Pussycat left. (Anyone remember Brent Muscat & Eric Stacey's version that toured the UK in 2007?) However saying that I've always left each gig slightly disappointed due to them either playing a short set or not playing enough of their old songs. So what was I going to expect tonight? Well the omens didn't look good from the start with a virtually empty Underworld. I guess all the glam fans were at Alexandra Palace to see Alice Cooper. However by 9.15pm there were approximately 100 fans to witness 70 minutes of the best Faster Pussycat gig I have seen. As the intro played ('Bye Bye Bianca'), Danny Nordahl (bass), Xristian Simon (guitar) and new boy Ace Von Johnson (guitar - replacing Michael Thomas) were centre stage horns aloft. They then went straight into 'Jack the Bastard' off Whipped album. Out came Taime, standing there in his rock star pose looking the epitome of cool with his (un lit) cigarette. He never did smoke that cigarette (I think he has given up smoking!)
Anyway you know already that this was an awesome performance so rather than trying to add more superlatives to describe how good this concert was, I'll just give you a run down of the songs they played (certainly a mixture of old & new):
Jack the Bastard, Cathouse, Slip of the Tongue, No1 with a Bullet, Sex Drugs & Rock N Roll, House of Pain, Nonstop to Nowhere, In Denial (a Newlydeads song), Don't Change That Song, Porn Star, Bathroom Wall, Pretty Fucked Up (a Supersuckers cover sung by Danny Nordahl), Shut Up & Fuck and Babylon. *Note* - they might have played Where there's a Whip....I can't remember.
I cannot finish the review without mentioning the ever reliable Chad Stewart on drums and the excellent musicianship of the others. On a final note this is the first time I've seen Taime really happy (smiling a lot and taking the piss out of our English accents!!) Normally he can be aloof but when he sat on the monitors at the front of the stage (during House of Pain) it appeared to me he was genuinely enjoying himself. He also thanked the crowd a couple of times for coming out, which was appreciated by me.
Best concert of 2011 so far.
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