Ladyhawke rocks out at Glee

Ladyhawke @ Birmingham Glee Club
Gig 22 Sunday 6 May 2012


Another trip to the Glee club, another week missing the pub quiz, but the promise of another great gig awaited. I must admit to being slightly disappointed that there were no chairs tonight (not because of anything more than feeling knackered from a trip to the Gym) but on entry the smell of hotdogs (on sale at a hot dog stall of course) and at the bar the smell of fresh sweetened popcorn soon ensured that I was distracted from the lack of chairs.


The venue was rammed (Ladyhawke was later to mention she was surprised with how many were there to see her) and a big queue at the bar but the bar staff rattled through until the person in front of me got caught out by the more than £15 to use cards rule. They searched the menu for something worth topping up their 2 San Miguels but failed and slunk off - a couple more San Miguels and some popcorn would have done it, but I wasn't about to voice this).


Armed with my San Miguel I settled in (front and centre 2 rows back) to await the support, provided by She's so Rad (or as they were from New Zealand, she's so Red... which caused confusion over here). This young band were really chuffed to be here, thanked Ladyhawke 'heaps' , and were enjoying the tourist bit around the UK. The music blasted out loud and droney, a bit like when I saw the Dandy Warhols who, in between the hits, would play loads of loud droney noise. Here we had no hits though, just drone although every now and then there was a tune trying to peep out. We got a twin peaks cover Rockin back inside my heart, although Angelo Badalamenti's tune still didn't connect, the vocals hidden. It was an interesting set up of the band, vocals either side with a bass player in the middle to strike poses and to swing his hair, with plenty of knee playing guitar riffs. They finished and plucked some quality out in Circles, cracked through at pace and saved the day.


On came Ladyhawke, who I haven't listened to a lot of in the past, I was expecting a folky type, but she proceeded to electro rock out with her band (including Tom from Brum, who looked suitably lost for words and embarrassed when this was bought up). Ladyhawke spent the gig being very polite and chuffed with her support, she noted that we were a little closer in and intimate than normal and this led to a great atmosphere.


It was a mix of new and old songs, with some cracking chorus's 'Na Na's' in Blue eyes and 'Bang Bang Bang on the wall' elsewhere  which kept things easily interactive. We treated to a wig out ending to one of the songs too, which was again a surprise, in fact the inbetween song banter did include a revelation that one of the songs was about Zombie Apocalypse so quite a few surprises. Although I did find my mind wandering a couple of times, whether to reading the names of the instruments (Fender's for Tom and Ladyhawke, very fetching too) or that the other guitarist must be pretty hot in his grey sweatshirt which might not be a good sign of being totally absorbed in the songs.


Then the gig came to a close with My Delirium, a real crowd pleaser and I wandered out thinking that this rock out must be what going to a Pat Benatar gig must have been like back in the day, however as I haven't really heard her songs that much, she may well have been folky!


A last note. Once again the coming in, no tickets, plus the well stocked pile of flyers and free mags makes the Glee Club a cracking venue to visit.