Dandy Warhols on the top, again

The Dandy Warhols had already been "my favourite band of the last week", as well as had others dozens of groups. This means I have heard all of their albums, but the first, and know by heart all their hits - the tunes, not the lyrics, as I don't know how to sing either "happy birthday". Nowadays, however, I was letting the Warhols on the side, dedicating myself to some novelties [oh, man, the music business is the craziest and fastest of all of the cultural ones!]. Although, once in the top, you will have always a fond for them. So, if I discover they will play on London, I will definitely go, as I did yesterday.

Despite the fact they had already been my favourite band, I didn't know anything about them, besides their music. Indeed, I am a horrible fan. I have never seen the faces of the musicians, didn't know their names, neither knew how many people were in the band. Shame on me, I know. The only opportunity I have watched them live was on the very educative Michael Winterbottom's film "9 songs". However in that occasion, the music was, hum, into the background, if you know what I mean.

Besides the fact I was not familiar with them, I was almost sure they were a little junkie. At least, some of their songs are about heroin ["Not if you were the last junkie on earth"] or to be high ["The last high"]. Of course they also talk about religion ["Mohammed"], philosophy ["Nietzsche"], and all of their references, like   "Ride", or one of the best, "Cool as Kim Deal". But I was very surprised when I saw the vocalist Courtney Taylor-Taylor tanned and apparently healthy as a surfer. Likewise, I was not shocked when, in the beginning of the concert, he seemed stoned, as a surfer. I haven't found any proof of his abilities on the sea. Probably because they [Brent DeBoer on the drums, Peter Holmström on the guitar, and Zia McCabe on the keyboards] are from Portland, in Oregon, one of the coldest states in the USA, in the Northwest, just below Washington.

This stoned attitude was an advantage, though. They have played first all of their more climate tracks, taking us to a different and more elevated atmosphere. Taylor is a very charismatic front man. With a slim body, and long arms, he has almost a sexual relationship with his guitar, resembling sometimes Jim Morrison, sometimes Steven Tyler. Holmström is a quiet and enigmatic fellow, who wears a homburg hat with a feather. DeBoer, Taylor's cousin, is the traditional drummer - never showing up. And McCabe tries to drawn attention to herself dancing or, sometimes, talking to the audience. But the showman of the band is, with no doubt, Taylor.

He arrived with his loose hair, a thin tie and large T-shirt. After the firsts tracks, he took the tie out, hold the hair and started to interact more with the spectators. At this moment, we were impressed, but not exactly in the same mood as them. But after some of their hits, as "Boys better", "I love you", or "Good morning" [if my memory does not betray me] we were conquered. 

In the middle of the concert, they played tracks of the new album, "This machine", which will be released this week. I would highlight "Enjoy yourself", played after he told us a anecdote about a car accident, which I haven't understood a comma. And, the end was just for the biggest hits, like "Bohemian like you" or "Horse pills". At this moment, we were jumping with the whole people in HMV Forum, in Kentish Town. The energy was so high that the security crew made some excited boys leave before the concert finishes. Poor guys.

My favourite moment, although, was in the middle, when DeBoer, McCabe and Holmström left the stage and only Taylor stayed. He said he could sing something while the others didn't come back. And ask for suggestion of the audience, who started to shout all titles. He put one of his microphones [he uses two] to the public and started. He miss one of the chord, apologized, and continued. I don't know if it was fake, but he pick one of my preferred: "Everyday should be a holiday". I agree with them.

  

ps. to prove the concert was one of the best I have ever watched, I have bought a Dandy Warhols' T-shirt. The only band shirt that I have.