Hoodlums/Born Blonde/Penguin Prison
Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London
28/04/2010

Had it been advertised as a casual meander through the genres of music currently en vogue, tonight’s gig might make sense. As it is, the entire affair appears back-to-front with the crowd diminishing as each band take to the stage, leaving headliners Hoodlums playing to just a handful of people. Three very different bands, one fractured audience.

Penguin Prison is the brainchild of one-man hit machine Chris Glover. An accomplished vocalist, musician and producer, tonight Glover assembles his live band to perform a relentless and slick electro-pop marathon. Drawing parallels to NYC dirty disco veterans like LCD Soundsystem and Talking Heads, Penguin Prison is an exercise in how to hook an audience. Smooth, skilled and with surprisingly high production values, tracks ‘Multimillionaire’ and ‘Don’t Fuck With My Money’ drag whoops and cheers from the packed room. There is something gloriously uncool about Glover’s mid 80′s synth revival, and we are powerless to its charms.

With spirits at a peak after the foot-tapping joy of Penguin Prison, a visibly nervous Born Blonde struggle with equipment before finally facing the difficult task of re-capturing the half-empty room’s attention. Undeniably talented, this sober and melancholic 5-piece are reminiscent of the early days of The Verve, their soaring melodies and wall-of-sound revealing deft song writing and genuine chemistry. Frontman (and wonderfully monikered) Arthur Delaney has the nervous lanky swagger of Richard Ashcroft, and at times bsound like tamer cousins of contemporaries Exit Calm.

The room rapidly empties as Hoodlums eventually make it to the stage, and more fool those who depart. Fronted by the spectacular Lou Vainglorious, this London-based motley-crew swiftly dispense with their highly original, lyrical, theatrical panache. Lithe, fox-like and with a mop of tangled curls, Lou leaps, prances and cavorts across the stage, his silky voice soaring from booming bass to eerie falsetto in a heartbeat. ‘Forget A Friend’ showcases Hoodlums’ knack for operatic storytelling, whilst ‘Windowshopper’ is a perfect vehicle for the nimble-fingered Piniman on standing bass. Fusing traditional folk songs, jazz riffs and Kate Bush-esque vocals, Hoodlums produce a sound like no other, and at the close of the set, the steadfast audience are literally screaming for more.

Annette Barlow