Mates Of State / The Projects / Econoline - Arts Cafe, London - Wednesday 6th March 2002
This was the first gig I’d ever seen at the Arts Café. Handily situated about three minutes away from where I work now, it gave me ample opportunity to get steaming drunk in the City Darts beforehand. Couldn’t get anyone to come down to this gig for love nor money so it was just me with a pint of Stella (or three) watching WWF Metal on the pub TV set. Walking down to the City Darts I passed a slow moving woman who I initially thought was a prostitute. There’s a fair few round this area of London. I walked past without slowing and ignored the “got change for a quid?” query that she threw my way. When she shouted “you only have to fucking answer!”, I did answer her. “Fuck off you silly little slag” and laughed. For some reason, this only served to wind her up more ;-)
Around 7:30 I wandered over to the Arts Café to find it open already. I’d been told that doors wouldn’t be til 8:30 but this place is apparently open all day and they just come round and get the money when the evening is “officially underway”. The main venue is a really nice room and is a light, interesting space with huge windows down one side. There’s friendly staff too and a big selection of cheap pizzas. Thumbs up all round. I highly recommend going to a gig there if you get the chance.
First band on were Econoline who had apparently only been added to the bill the day before. I was glad that they were playing because I’d seen them before and liked them a lot. Unfortunately, tonight was a little bit uninspired. They’d lost all the fast, spiky, almost punk rock tunes that peppered their sets previously and instead did a set entirely made up of generic UK indie-emo-rock, a style of music that I’m rapidly becoming very bored with. Executed well it can be great but this was, I’m sorry to say, pretty dull. Both the first and the last songs went on far too long – there was minimal movement from the guitarist and bassist and even the drummer wasn’t her usual smiling self. Hopefully it was an off night for them because I don’t want to dismiss them to the trash heap just yet.
Oh, forgot to mention, Tilly and Anna showed up at the gig which surprised me a little. I never knew Tilly had heard of Mates Of State. It was a pleasure to se her there though, as it was to see Luke Younger and fellow Lights! Alive! bandmate James (? Hope I got the right name).
The middle band was supposed to be a band called Miss Mend, who, I was later told, sound exactly like Stereolab. Cleverly enough, the band replacing them – “The Projects” – featured Mary from Stereolab on keyboards. At least, I think it was her – if it wasn’t it was her twin sister ;-) Maybe Miss Mend changed their name because this lot certainly had the repetitive pop intent… but unfortunately had little to hold my attention. Stereolab make me want to dance. This made me take my drink and stand outside.
ALL of the previous disappointment was cancelled out completely when Mates Of State hit the stage. If you don’t know already, Mates Of State consists of Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner (long-term partners and now husband and wife), a keyboard, some drums and beautiful soaring harmonising voices. They’ve just released their second album “Our Constant Concern” on Polyvinyl and played many track from that, including the majestic “Quit Doin’ It”, as well as plenty from the first record, the sublime “My Solo Project”. Ever since I caught this band by chance in San Francisco in 2000 I honestly thought I’d never get the opportunity to see them play again. I was proved wrong with the announcement of this tour – it was almost like a dream come true. I’m considering travelling to Newcastle on Saturday to see them play again and I’d be a fool not to after hearing a song like “Proofs” played live. Kori and Jason traded vocal lines in an almost call and response fashion, Kori tossing out playful looks Jason’s way and having fun improvising looong endings to songs on the keyboard. It all ended (I think!) with the “right again RIGHT AGAIN THOUGH!” song (the name of which escapes me) and the evening was complete.
Writing this makes me want to travel this weekend. Maybe I will...
--Chris