reviews

Sky Larkin / Copy Haho

Aberdeen Cafe Drummond's, 5th October 2009

Featured Artists: Copy Haho Sky Larkin

The unmistakable smell of new paint passes through my nostrils, meanwhile the "early Libertines" (as our very own Parri Thomas recently described them) sound of Copy Haho fills my ears. But the taste...the taste is pure nostalgia. Yes, welcome to Cafe Drummond`s, home tonight to a celebration of everything that went on before La Roux - or so you would think if you`d opened any music magazine or listened to any daytime radio station throughout 2009. If guitar rock is actually dead then nobody told Stonehaven`s finest (with some excellent 70`s rock posturing) nor their attentive if somewhat partisan audience.

I`m lucky to catch Copy Haho at an exciting time. By virtue of their time touring the UK and a string of exciting early releases, they sit a considerable way above the average support act. Clearly veterans of this venue, their sound inhabits the room in just that way that a band at this stage can, particularly with a well-marshalled sound desk.

Tonight there are loud cheers for former single `You Are a Coal Mine` and new single `Wrong Direction`, even though, as Grandmaster Irony so often decrees, it`s probably the weakest track tonight - which is saying something. The local boys did very well tonight, watch out for shows from them further afield very soon.

As I watch Sky Larkin drummer Nestor Matthews undergro a fairly vigorous stretching routine and with Therapy?`s `Screamager` blasting over the PA as if it were a challenge, I am perplexed to see what looks like the band`s rider (a crate of Stella Artois) kicked towards the stage. Meanwhile, around me, the familiar musk of testosterone-charged young men becomes more than apparent as the assembled lads gather to gain a better view of singer and lead guitarist Katie Harkin. There`s just something about a girl with a guitar that stirs passion in floppy-haired indie lads and Katie`s range of guitar-totin` poses (machine gun, cradled like a newborn, vigourously stroking the fretboard...ahem!) appears not to disappoint all night.

It`s a quick run through breakthrough single `Fossil, I` that introduces both the band a run of sound problems to Aberdeen. Sadly, and not for the first time, the blend of guitar, bass, drums, vocals and occasional keyboard sounds disjoint. However, when they manage to cut through the mire, as on an early appearance for `Somersault` that finds Katie on keyboards and looking and sounding like a cross between Siouxsie Sioux and Rick Wakeman, they`re never short of Yorkshire sass and indie style.

Like a Hello Kitty with knives for hands, there`s something both cute and dangerous about Sky Larkin. Katie`s comments range from a sweet "My Grandma, Jean Harkin, was around Aberdeen in the 40`s, so if anyone was around then she says hi!" to viciously teasing bass player Doug Adams by calling him "David Baddiel". This is a description which perfectly describes their music: the country garden blitzkrieg that is `Pica`, the raw bass buzz of a sugar-coated `Antibodies` and the album-title-referencing, Pavement tribute `Octopus `08` all get good crowd reactions.

New free download only single `Smarts`, however, doesn`t quite enjoy the same reaction. Without the recognition factor of my now well-worn copy of debut LP `The Golden Spike`, this new record comes across a little muddy and incoherent when it has to fight an unforgiving sound desk. With drummer Nestor left panting after almost kills himself through a frantic drumming routine, they finish with a good but unremarkable `Beeline`. Not bad, but definitely a victory on local soil for Copy Haho tonight.

Posted on 6 October 2009 by Richard Brown

Tags: Sky Larkin Copy Haho Live Review Aberdeen Cafe Drummond

Share this news item:

Sky Larkin / Copy Haho

Aberdeen Cafe Drummond's, 5th October 2009

Post a Comment