MIRRORKICKS
Water Rats, London
02/02/2010

We’ve seen a variety of cover versions live already this year, ranging from Fyfe Dangerfield’s deconstruction of ‘Call The Shots’ to a frighteningly faithful take on ‘Psycho Killer’ from Mat out of Mower, but none have been as fraught with peril as Mirrorkicks tackling ‘Bleeding Love’, quite possibly the hardest-to-perform chart-topper of the past decade. That they do so with such aplomb proves less surprising than it should be, and comes down to three features that make the lead-up to it such a satisfying display. For one thing, there’s no air of unwanted irony to proceedings, since, while anything but po-faced, the ‘Kicks bring a certain conviction to the table throughout. Secondly, there’s an audacity to the band’s propensity for mildly furious rock under every circumstance that lends itself unusually well to such an intense offering – Gerard de Waal in particular reminds us of Muse’s bass bastion Chris, but it’s an ethos that extends to the whole band.

Moreover, there’s the instinctive pop excellence of Anil Kamaragharan helming the occasion. Kitted out in a dazzling Boy-From-Space ensemble, he manages to resemble both Keith We Are Scientists and, even more pertinently, Som from early-century sensations My Vitriol and unleashes a giddy range that’d scarcely seem possible for one so buttoned-up. And, needless to say, this all works a treat on their own material too: ‘Turning Up’, for instance, flicks casually between neo-glam and a more hardcore sensibility with a Boo Radleyan panache, ‘On TV’ cannonballs by in a flurry of winningly whinnying guitar that owes much to the days when Britpop was more careering than careerist, and current single ‘Anything’ has both a weightlessness and an urgency that insist a great deal and promise even more. They’re putting the legwork in something marvellous; don’t be surprised if that’s reflected in a well-earned breakthrough in the months ahead…

Iain Moffat