Lost Gospel, Trash Brunette,Days Like Stars @ Candy'sApartment (14/07/07)

Mon 17th Jul, 2006 in Gig Reviews

Lots of eyeliner was needed at King’s X venue Candy’s Apartment as this concert night with The Lost Gospel (supported by Trash Brunette and Days Like Stars) was self described a theatrical audio-visual experience.

Opener Trash Brunette describe themselves like so: “It’s gonna be pretty. It’s gonna be sweet. Its gonna be some sexy, hard popping rock with a touch of sensitivity, a splash of sleaze and a whole lotta heavy riffs.” OK… I enjoyed their goodtime 80s poser rock ‘n’ roll, although I missed the sex and the sensitivity that they promised. But on the other hand there were still enough heavy riffs (à la Mötley Crue or Guns n’ Roses) and a whole lotta sleaze to compensate.

The second band paled in comparison between Trash Brunette and headliners The Lost Gospel – literally, visually and metaphorically when you listened to their music. Days Like Stars play nice extraneous radio pop-rock – obviously the co-ordinators of Candy’s Apartment needed a third band to fill the slot tonight- maybe because The Hell City Glamours were otherwise engaged – and any band would fit the bill.
 
Finally The Lost Gospel  or should I say my new favourite band? This band of Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson is awesome! But let me tell you first about their fabulous outfits: Bassist Matthew Strong - usually with a cigarette glued to his mouth – has red nail polish; and looks with his sharp formed face and curly hair like a mixture between Stones‘ Keith Richards and Queens’ Brian May. Front man Phil’s nails are as red as those of his bassist lips. His jacket, tie and shirt look like they have been worn for the last three days, not unlike his un-shaven face and his mostly closed eyes. Guitar player Nick Wright is definitely the highlight of the evening. Before the concert he stripped to his underwear to don a Jesus wig, artificial blood running down from his forehead and – to top all this – a cross on his chest made of his breast hairs. 

Unlike the artifice of the band’s costuming –  the music was not disguised or false, it was – well, touching. The sound was, especially for a little location like this, brilliant and the music was really good, but not possible to quantify in words. The only band I would relate this group to, (but with a big question mark) would be The Manic Street Preachers  as The Lost Gospel is manic, and the “religious experience” (they promise on Myspace) is equalled by the sub-headline “Bigger than the second coming”; this band is pure irony, post-punk with nothing but the truth in its suitcase, colourful, angry, quiet and simple fun and passion: “Cynics are grieved idealists” said Kurt Tucholsky and here they are, “The Lost Gospel”.


The Lost Gospel launch their album at Candy’s Apartment on August 23.