Lock & Load

The Dwarves of Perception

“I don’t think you’ll like it,” my boyfriend MSNed me yesterday, “why don’t you listen to the CD and let me know later.” He was booking tickets to go and see Electric Eel Shock at The Garage in Highbury last night.

So I put in “Go Europe!” and decided on balance I’d go along. I’m glad I did. (I’m also glad I remembered that I has a set of earplugs in my bass case – remember kids, there is nothing cool about going deaf – or worse.)

Electric Eel Shock are fantastic. Here is a band that is cool simply because they either refuse to be cool or don’t know how to be or care to be. They’re from Toyko, Japan, and simply exude a love of rock and roll. They’re a reminder that at its core, a rock gig is supposed to b fun. With short snappy, catchy songs with titles like ‘Bastard’, ‘Suicide Rock ‘n’ Roll’ and ‘Japanese meets Chinese in USA’ I was boogieing away on the floor, sticky with spilt coke, bear and sweat.

Of course, they make the worst rock cliche’s seem charming simply because they do it with such conviction. The bass player dives off the top of his bass amp, the guitarist balances his Flying-Vee on his nose and the drummer plays bullock-naked except for a sock on his cock. Magic stuff!

EES where the support band for The Dwarves, who were not so much fun. Their website is sexist. (Yes, I know, what’s wrong with sexy…”)

They’re a strange bunch who make an awful lot of noise. Glad I took the ear plugs. Infact, the boyfriend was asking for my spare pair midway into their set. I don’t know what to make of them. A lot of shouting, like bad Rage Against The Machine, without the progressive politics. Obviously cock-rock is catching on, because one of The Dwarves played completely naked (except for Doc Martins and a full-face wrestling mask, similar to this one), his flaccid todger dangling underneath his axe.

This reminds me about the story of an old professor who would frequent an all-male nude bathing complex. One day a women strayed in and all the men rushed to cover their privates with their towels – except the professor who put his towel over his head. When he was asked to explain this later, he replied “I don’t know about you, but in this town I’m known by my face.”

But I digress…

Between songs, he seemed to masturbate (unsuccessfully) and I swear he was hoping the solitary woman at the bopping at the front of the stage would reach out and touch “it”. Sensibly, she didn’t, even after a few suggestive pelvic thrusts from Ukulele Lad. She obviously didn’t fancy being crushed by a Dwarf.

Amazingly, the metal-heads moshing beneath his swaying meat didn’t seem to mind – and metal is supposed to be such a macho, hard subculture. I wondered to myself if one of these chaps had reached out and touched The Dwarves privates, whether a charge of assault would have had to be answered. What does the law say? I wonder. Hmmm….

Anyhow… if the music had been better, I doubt I’d have been mulling over all these issues. We’d gone to see the Electric Eel Shock, as, I suspect, had a large number of the audience.

For my friends in LA, Electric Eel Shock are playing in Anaheim, California @ House Of Blues (With BG) on Saturday, 08 October 2005 and in Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theater (With BG) on Monday, 10 October 2005. Go check ‘em out.

Hopefully they’ll have left the Dwarves behind. They don’t seem to get it – and may soon be headlining a puppet show. Electric Eel Shock, they’re spot on.

Apart from “Go Europe”, check out their other albums “Beat Me’ and “Go USA”.

posted by Brett Lock @ 4:52 pm