The Drums
25.09.09
The Drums hail from New York and have only ever played 20 gigs but NME are already describing them as "NY's official coolest New Band... This might be the most contagiously energetic NYC band of the past 10 years."
Check out their infectious tunes
here and
here.
He Said
Emily - 'Well you were the one who brought the fucking date'
Me - 'I can date who I like, when I like and I don't need your permission'
Emily - 'We are supposed to be working'
Me - 'So that's what you call working is it... Trying to shag anything with a guitar pick'
And with that she slapped me and I suppose I deserved it. Here I am trying to interview an increasingly nonplussed bunch of Americans experiencing their first flush of fame and adulation outside of New York and instead of finding out why they are the zeitgeist of something so powerful and explosive, I am having to deal with Emily. And although this impromptu interview is down to Emily accosting the lead singer Jonathan minutes after he left the stage it's really down to her being... And through gritted teeth I must admit this... Rather brilliant.
The gig itself was simply stunning, the band are all cheek bones and aryan hair sweeps and they simply look like the coolest thing out of New York since The Strokes. A comparison although not just musical, but in the feeling that they just have that 'Fuck you effortless cool thing' I can only assume The Strokes had this before movie starlets and solo side projects became the order of the day.
The crowd tonight is packed with industry types and the gig itself is put on hold for 20 minutes so Radio 1 can stop the mutual masturbation round of circle jerks over Jo Wiley's coffin and get to the gig.
It's like a Mexican standoff down in old El Paso, on one side we have the skeptical Camden crowd posing, pouting and stating just how fucking wonderful their new song/blog/play/art installation type thing is. The other end of the standoff are The Drums complete with two female doo whop singing backing dancers, shimmering in little back numbers dressed against a red velvet back drop.
'Feel free to enjoy yourself'
They have what all great bands have, it's a swagger, it's an overwhelming sense of belief in what they're doing. They make you feel that you're watching something important without actually fully understanding what it is, almost like you're glad you're there but you don't know why.
We make a bee line for the front line and charge to the front. Now it helps that she is beautiful don't get me wrong and that smile could turn a silver ring thing but on the way to the front Emily manages to piss off the entirety of the audience, it's like following a hurricane in a mini skirt, the views not bad but it leaves an awful mess.
They sound like if Morrissey killed Ian Curtis, framed it like Suicide and took over as New Order took off. It's infectious it's impulsive and it's the fucking future. Reasons escape me but the crowd is slow to respond. Sometimes the future will suffocate the ignorant. In the flowerpot tonight I saw the single most exciting thing I have seen in years.
With the gig over Emily flirts her way into the affections of Jonathan and we get the interview we have no right to have.
That's the great thing about Emily, it's the unshakable confidence in whatever she is doing is right and it's kind of intoxicating to be round it. I gather my increasingly slurred thoughts and try and remember any question that come to mind, however none come to mind and we completely wing it. Emily babbles about breakfast and beefeaters but they seem to like her. I struggle to hold my own and I think we might just get away with it. I ask a few questions none of which are greeted with anything more than a curled lip of indifference. So with an increasingly irate PR woman still confused to quite who the fuck we are we bid farewell to The Drums.
A couple of miles west of us Coldplay are headlining Wembley and no doubt apologizing for being so soul crushingly mundane, and as well you might Chris Martin, as well you might, because tonight I saw a band that you would sell quinine to the slave trade to just to get close to it.
She Said
I like going out with Chris. Stuff always just seems to happen. Last time we had an adventure Chris almost got arrested and I did the ladylike thing and hid behind a tree... ANYWAY this Saturday we heard The Drums were over from New York and were playing locally so we pretty much wet ourselves with excitement. Once I managed to prise Chris away from Strictly Come Dancing and waited for him to change his outfit twice (I'm not commenting on his sexual preference here but sometimes I do wonder) we skipped along to The Flowerpot. I was a bit worried the bouncer wouldn't let me in after the whole Jack Penate debacle (I would tell you - but I'm too embarrassed) but I wore my hair differently so totally got away with it.
This was The Drums first gig out of the States and anticipation was circulating in the back end of Kentish Town. I'd watched some of their stuff on YouTube on recommendation from my friend Billy and am basically in love with them. As usual the band was late and as I'd been on a massive detox the wine Chris had FORCED me to drink was having a rather heavy handed effect. Then just to confuse me further a girl came up to Chris and said she'd be back in a minute.
Me - 'Who the fuck is that?'
Chris - 'My date' (he shrugged)
Now I'm not saying I like being the centre of attention. Actually fuck it, I LIKE BEING THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION. So this really pissed me off and I scanned the room for something to do. My eyes fell on a guy I had met a few times before and I kicked Chris in the shin.
Chris - 'Shit Emily. That really fucking hurt' (he said rubbing the affected area)
Me - 'The guy in the coat over there...'
Chris - 'Ooo he's cute. Go say hi'
Me - 'NO! I need to portray an air of mystery'
ANYWAY... The band started and I jumped around at the front nearly getting beaten up for jumping on top of people (it was the wine - not me). The lead singer is amazing - think Ian Curtis/Morrissey and the Beach Boys. Its feel good, its energetic, its frigging brilliant. Once I'd calmed down after the lunatic dancing which I'm sure did me no favours on the boy front I decided I wanted to meet the band. I marched up to the singer.
Me - 'I want to interview you for my website'
John - (looking a bit scared) 'OK. Lets go upstairs where its quieter'
Result. I grabbed Chris on the way and the rest of the band followed suit. Now I actually hadn't thought this through and was a bit drunk but was feeling pretty good about hoodwinking the boys to the flat upstairs. Just as we where mid flow discussing the English weather (I wasn't prepared - I know) a rather terrifying PR type woman stormed in.
Scary woman - 'Your not scheduled to do an interview with them'
Me - 'er...'
John - 'We want her to interview us. Go away'
Result. Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared and did my usual thing of recommending they go on the London Eye and not getting any useful information apart from what they like for breakfast (they are big fans of the full English btw). I then let Chris do most of the talking because I had started to thoroughly confuse myself. After nicking a Drums T-shirt each we went downstairs for some back patting. By this point my boxfresh liver had succumbed to wine and I decided to leave on a high.
It is recommended you do something embarrassing to cringe about the day after the night before. My answer to this was to Facebook message 'coat guy' my telephone number (I have no idea where my logic was here. No idea at all). Anyway looking at the reply I got the next day I don't think he minded too much. But I still had the urge to bang my head against a wall the whole of Sunday. And Chris didn't help much when I told him over an afternoon pint. He gave me a pitied look and said:
'Air of mystery Em. Air of mystery...'
Oh god.
