King Adora - Liverpool Academy 2

It's fairly unusual to see two grown men swishing about a venue in ball gowns. Even more unlikely for the men to be the singer and bass player from that evenings headlining band. However, when the band is King Adora, these things aren't quite so unexpected.

Touting their way around the country in support of second album, 'Who Do You Love?' the prospect of playing to half empty venues doesn't seem to have dampened the fire and swagger that back in 2001 made them mean everything to me. It's very hard, especially if you have songs entitled '9” of Pure Malice' ('The tale of a house wife, her favourite sex toy and the unpleasant circumstances in which it makes her meet her end.') not to cross the line of self parody but seeing them live it becomes clear that King Adora put one hundred percent belief and passion into what they do. Mixing old favourites 'Bionic', 'Smoulder' and 'The Law' with newer offerings 'Manic Love', 'Kamikaze' and an inspired cover of Nancy Sinatra's 'These Boots Were Made For Walking' it seems a shame they receive the criticism they do. Whilst they may not attract the biggest of audiences they certainly have the most devoted. A band has to have something special about them if it motivates people to go to every gig on a tour. If Franz Ferdinand aim to play music to make girls dance, King Adora play music that makes girls (and boys) want to dance, fuck the bass player afterwards and wish their own boyfriends had hips and cheeks as sharp as that. However, they're already preaching to the converted and it's going to take a long, hard slog to bring the rest of the world round to their way of thinking. Hopefully though, they might just do it.

Life is full of guilty pleasures and King Adora are one of mine. Just don't tell Matt Browne that...