With US bands currently driving the burgeoning garage rock scene, Marc Sallis checks out two of the UK’s hottest prospects for world domination.
22/07/2002
Sold-out within days of going on sale, the prospect of seeing two of London’s elite garage rock bands playing together at one of the capital’s most intimate venues had been billed as the ‘gig of the week’ by many in-the-know.
With The Beatings kicking off their first UK tour to promote the release of their debut single, ‘Jailhouse’, and The Black Madonnas looking to capitalise on their recent press coverage in style-bibles The Face and Sleazenation, the gig was a war of white noise.
The Black Madonnas quickly drew first blood taking to the stage for a blistering, adrenaline packed car-crash of a set. Leading from the front were the twin guitars and vocals of Fancy Smith and LA ‘The Devil’ Whetter spewing out a verbal and musical assault on the wary and startled crowd.
Commanding a stage presence that held the gaze of the entire venue, the audience was left open-mouthed and slightly confused following an inexplicably inspired Fancy Smith overhaul of the Gwen Guthrie disco classic ‘Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But The Rent’. Measured, calculated and undeniably brilliant, it was the moment the band moved their set to another level.
Following on from their soon-to-be-released debut single ‘The White Sands’ The Madonnnas ended on the song that will lead the UK invasion of garage rock – the aptly titled ‘Garage Rock’. This immediate classic which carries the chorus ‘Garage Rock, Garage Roll, Garage Music’s gonna free your soul’ was brought to close when Fancy trashed his guitar in a manner that can only be described as ‘beautifully tasteful’. In an age when this type of seasoned action is often deemed as contrived and embarrassing, Fancy possesses that natural rock ‘n’ roll attitude that makes this final act a thrilling and refreshing conclusion.
The Beatings, with the added advantage of being the headliners and having at least three songs in circulation that the crowd will know, took the stage with the expected swagger of the night’s big act.
Navigating the first few songs skilfully enough to get the crowd moving to their own pace and rhythm, the band kicked in with ‘one for the crowd’ and busted their way through ‘The Other Side’, one of the b-sides to their single. An instant crowd pleaser, it wasn’t long before the dual vocal and guitar assault of Nick (aka Jack Knife) and Matt gave the crowd ‘the single’.
‘Jailhouse’ epitomises what garage rock is, was and should be. The Beatings’ take on garage rock is not watered down for the consumption of the mass audiences – which is probably why The Libertines were signed to Rough Trade ahead of themselves. However, The Beatings have the same global appeal as The Who and The Clash did back when they were fighting off the trappings of commercial, mainstream music and gaining huge success because they were ‘real’.
There’s no escaping how raw The Beatings sound at times, but they never come across as being anything but an amazingly powerful and full-throttle band and on tonight’s performance should have no trouble showing the US and the rest of the world what a ‘real’ garage rock band sounds like.
The Beatings single ‘Jailhouse’ is out now on Fantastic Plastic and the band’s first headlining tour is on the road now:
24th July Barfly, Sheffield
25th July Barfly, Glasgow
24th July Reading Festival
25th July Leeds Festival
The Black Madonnas debut single ‘The White Sands’ is released in August on Monocle 78 and the band headline the Monocle 78 roster at Birmingham Academy on 10th August.
Marc Sallis for Crud Magazine 2002©