The Pipettes @ The Concorde 2

The Pipettes at Concorde 2 Review

0/5
Bands: The Pipettes
Venue: Concorde 2
Gig: The Pipettes @ The Concorde 2
Gig date: 28th March 2006
Posted on 25th June 2007 by bennyboy

There's a giant polka dot on the map of Brighton tonight. A town famed for its free-thinking and thrill-seeking population is hosting a night of rock and rolly pop - with oodles of riot-grrl attitude - from the delectable Pipettes. It seems like a combination that cannot possibly fail. As we surf through 2006, it's clear our supposed female pop idols continue to offer only high gloss bubble gum lacking any real gumption. Step aside Britney and Mariah. This is girl power but not as we know it. Emerging in a flurry of co-ordination and "Grease" style hand action, the trio of girls look like they've just stepped out of an all American Diner. There's more than a nod and a wink to '50s pop, but with hints of indie, disco and soul, this proves to be a frequently convincing concoction tonight. Think of a Shangri-La's hot dog with a squirt of Tracey Ullman ketchup and a blob of Blondie mustard and you're close. Oh, and Phil Spector would probably be eating it. Right from the go, Katie, Gwenni and Rose turn traditional female pop lyrics on their head. Where once we had Christina promising to "get dirty", The Pipettes boast smugly of their fella's sexual appetite. "He's got a dirty mind, you don't know what you might find", they wink during The Ronettes meets a bar of soup doo wop of "Dirty Mind". All talk and all trousers, Katie, Gwenni and Rose excel at witty banter between tracks. You get the feeling they'd be in their element putting the world to rights down the pub while reading Germaine Greer over your shoulder. That's not to say the girls don't play the coy and cute card. With a tongue stuck firmly in their flushed cheeks, The Pipettes and their all boy backing band, The Cassettes, breeze through future pop classics "It Hurts To See You Dance So Well" and "ABC", melting men's hearts with every wink and synchronised dance routine. The odd hiccup or forgotten line is shrugged off endearingly, almost choreographed in its bashful charm. In truth, the girls only find their musical feet intermittently this evening. "Why Did You Stay" and "It Hurts" brim with charm and panache but lack a killer hook. But with new single "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me", the trio succeed in joining up the polka dots, unleashing their catchiest, most fully formed ditty to date. This is the kind of cool and classy moment that prompted Memphis Industries to sign them up recently, suggesting a bright future for our femme hat-trick. The Pipettes, then. Girls wanna be in them and boys wanna do them. Girls Aloud and co can stick those polka dots where the sun don't shine. by Laura Kelly

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