Concert Review: Noisettes bring the House down!
By The Anarchist
All photos taken by our friend Mike Schmitt at the House Of Blues in N Myrtle Beach, SC
Noisettes are one of the most exciting new bands to come along in years. Their debut album 'What's The Time Mr. Wolf?' is a hybrid of garage rock, punk, soul and the kitchen sink and it's damn good to hear a band out there taking chances in an industry of paint-by-numbers. Therefore, I was stoked when I saw that they were opening for Bloc party at the House of Blues in my hometown of Myrtle Beach, SC. The band also hooked us up with an extra set of tickets, which were won by a local girl named Kylee. When the label sent the cd to us for review, they sent along one of the coolest promos I'd ever recieved: a Noisettes container with earplugs in them. As cool as it is, I decided to rock out au naturale. This would be damage that my ears would enjoy recieving.
First and foremost, that punk influence is much more obvious in a live setting. the band is frantic and forceful and doesn't so much play their music for you, as much as force it into your soul. The crowd was not very familiar with the bands songs, as the album is still quite new, but the bands infectious energy spread and the whole House started shaining. Singer Shingai Shoniwa is a human fireball, and the undisputed master of her stage. She slithers and prances around her kingdom while delivering her trademark soulful shouts and piercing screetches into her "speaker-phones". She is an incredible frontwoman that absolutely amazed the crowd. Even after the headliner's set was over, I overheard more people commenting on Shoniwa's performnce than anything else.
Guitarist Dan Smith and drummer Jamie Morrison weren't about to just fade into the background however. they tore through the set with reckless abandon while staying on point musically. I was stoked that the crowd recognized and cheered when the bands first single "Scratch Your Name" was performed, as it is getting radio play on the local rock station WKZQ 101.7. Dan was being compared favorably to Jack White by many in the crowd and he really let loose on his solos. Jamie played like a man possessed while laying down the massive beats.
The bottom line is that the Noisettes BRING IT in concert. My initial concern with them was that they might be a little too avant garde to be accepted by a wide variety of Americans. that is no longer a concern, as they will turn every crowd they perform in front of into instant fans. The only problem now is finding headliners who won't mind being blown off the stage every night by their openers.
Thanks to our friends at Motown for hooking us up, and thanks to Mike Schmitt for taking the accompanying pictures. If you're in the area and need some pics done, you can contact Mike at mike.schmitt@gmail.com .