Boy Kill Boy @ Cockpit
By Luke Ramsden
How healthy/unhealthy must British music and the Leeds scene be right now if Boy Kill Boy can barely half fill the Cockpit second room? Granted tonight's experiment may be a bit skewed on account of Forward Russia's Joseph's Well showcase, but even still the gaping gaps in attendance indicate a certain amount of lacklustre in the direction of yet another highly infectious, highly enjoyable indie rock n roll band. Is the genre and availability of it live so saturated people just can't be arsed any more? Very possible, despite Boy Kill Boy still achieving the above job description to a tee.
Locals Buen Chico open the night with their generally high octane sleaze-indie rock. Mop topped vocalist Morgan and fresh from the library bassist Kirsty showing good chemistry on stage and combining vocals duties well, despite the fact it's impossible to hear one lyric all night. Probably the deliveries' fault but we'll give them the benefit of the doubt and blame the equipment this time. 'I Don't Care' still continues to be their strongest tune but a slower number relayed towards the conclusion sounds like it has potential. The threesome grow in confidence as the set progresses and a healthy reception guarantees they've probably won over another few fans tonight.
Western Suburbs on the other hand are dull. Very dull. Watching someone else watch paint dry dull. The only saving grace is the comedy value of the vocalist's harmonica headpiece, looking like some kind of retarded musical terminator as he straggles the stage with semi-growling strained vocals over very meagre soundscapes created behind him. It's a shame because when this music is done well (Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies, 65DOS anyone?) it's downright awesome. Whereas those bands sound like soaring over Everest, Western Suburbs sound like Burnley.
Thank god for Boy Kill Boy then, a bit of high paced likable, catchy tuneage is what's needed to perk up the night. With no album on the shelves as yet, the majority of the crowd are witness to brand new material for the duration and it's hard to complain with what is unleashed. In a very Kaiser Chiefs, We Are Scientists et al kind of way, every single song, is immediate and highly enjoyable. The two singles provide the undeniable highlights. 'Suzie' with its ironically upbeat, begs to be sung along chorus of "Countdown, countdown, countdown to the disappointment" and 'Civil Sin's schizophrenic Editors-esque verse-chorus melee both prove how the band could incredibly easily fit onto daytime playlists nationwide. The rest is harder to decipher on first listen but it was definitely a show worth attending because, saturated scene or not, there's little chance Boy Kill Boy will be playing shows as intimate as this once the album drops. They're not going to set the mainstream on fire like some of their compatriots have done in recent times but as bit part players and main supporters, Boy Kill Boy have a successful future ahead of them. Yes that is a compliment... I think.
