Micachu and The Shapes @ The Bodega Social, Nottingham 30/3/2009
The recently released debut album, “Jewellery”, by Micachu is a tumbling, busy piece of work bursting with great ideas and creativity and, tonight, it’s put to the test whether this gem will stand up in a live setting.
Striding nonchalantly, but not arrogantly, onstage, Micachu is the definition of a tomboy blended with a true street urchin. And not the Peter Doherty smokes some crack>buys an old hat> becomes a “street urchin” kind of way. More the Kate Blanchett plays Bob Dylan>only Bob Dylan is a carnie with a heart of gold and a fist of Mike Tyson kind of way.
Right from the start, the main thing that is clear about Micachu and The Shapes is how outstanding their beautifully ramshackle songs really are. Any fears that the live versions of songs might not live up to their recorded brethren quickly evaporate in a whirlwind of furious musical jigsaw pieces being scattered about the room. It’s like the sound of your body rejecting your brain in the midst of a mental breakdown, yet not giving a shit about it. Previous single, “Golden Phone”, for example, sounds even more thrilling and demented when speeded and roughed up a bit.
The band change and use a strange variety of instruments throughout the set, from the small and battered guitar to a set of wine bottles set up on a drum. It’s interesting to see how their lo-fi, fidgety sound is actually created.
This is genuinely exciting music. And genuinely fun, as the dancers at the front will surely testify.
One of the set highlights, “Vulture”, sounds like QOTSA playing their fast, stoner rock on a battered acoustic guitar found in the attic before the song suddenly takes a U turn and bleeps and bobs from side to side impulsively. This is exactly what makes Micachu so brilliant: The way she, and her band, rocket from one musical inspiration to the next, like a pin ball machine bouncing from idea to idea and executing them in the most thrillingly dysfunctional, unpredictable fashion possible.
The band seem a little surprised, and totally grateful, of the fair sized audience that came out to see them on a Monday night in Nottingham, but those that did make the effort are even more grateful that they did. With such creativity and ingenuity, surely this band will have made a lot more friends by the time they next come around.
http://www.myspace.com/micayomusic
Micachu’s debut album “Jewellery” is out now. Buy it. It’s one of the best albums so far this year. A year which has been pretty good for albums… letusnotforgetnow!!
