february NoLoGos

One looks like Bernard Butler dressed for a Justine Frischmann lookalike convention; another is the token bloke form Smack the Pony whose Slowdive wig has shrunk in the wash. Codea come on to a horrible noise, and look quite, quite wonderful.

Of course, that’s the drink talking. Were I sober, I might toss in names like ‘Revolver’ and "Spitfire’ and a dozen other generic, uninspired band titles that mean nothing without a year to give them context – the year being, of course, 1992.

But I am drunk, horny and nostalgic, and happy to embrace "haven’t heard for a while" pretending its "brand new sound."

Spitty sentences over just clashing musical splurges, one song is introduced as "for anyone who’s ever had a nervous breakdown", summing up what they do – while Slim Shady dances a Vogue madness, this is what the edge really sounds like – warm, deep, inviting, daring and tempting you to wade in. Like drowning. Codea are like drowning. That’s how you get to see the mermaids.

The drummer’s hair is all wrong, though.

Before DNA arrive, there are bongos in the heart of the Zanzibar. I suspect other reasons to hate may present themselves before the set is complete. Finalists in some sort of student music competition (that’s two), they don’t actually sound that bad – like a Prodigy that swallowed a bong. Except, just as you’re stretching out, along comes a pointless saxaphone solo, like a Gerry Rafferty drive-by. (Three.) Polite applause follows each track – like we’re at a dinner party, but the crowd could never be as polite as the band. Clearly, all the musicians crowding the stage are deeply talented, but this isn’t a format that will do any of them favours – like watching an Olympic Swimming team simultaneously attempting different pentathalon events. And, by the way, if you’re going to sing a song about the evils of capitalism,(four) might be an idea to take off the Nike baseball cap first (five). The bass player slaps his instrument and goes "woo-hoo." I reach six and seven, and go outside to count up to ten.

Pictures from the night