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MALVERN
FRINGE ARTS
P R E S E N T PLASTIC HEROES plus support 'YouNoGoDie' NEW WAVE ROCKERS FROM DERBY Saturday 10th July 8pm - late  Great Malvern Club Church Street ( map ) Great Malvern Admission - £6/£5 concs |
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HEROES Wow! This is exactly what I needed. Ever since Plastic Heroes conceptualist Marc split from his last band I've been hungry to see what he comes out with now that he's been freed from the chains of working with musicians who simply aren't as talented as he is…and here I finally got to see whether or not the talent really rested with him. No doubt about it, it was all his. On a stage the size of my shower and with absolutely no light show whatsoever, Plastic Heroes showed everyone what the essence of raw rock is all about. From the opening chords of "Television Sucks Me In" I got rocked by their shuddering, guitartastic mesh of Iggy/Ziggy/Hooker/Link Wray...well, shit, it's good to be influenced by the best dope available. The sound is a tremendous amalgam of all the right elements. Marc's guitar sound soaring and tearing its way through the air, his harmonies simply delightful. Simon's hip swivelling and precision playing wowed the crowd as his innocent looks drew the girls in closer to the stage. He's going to be breaking hearts in the bleachers for years to come. Don't let your girlfriends out to see these cats unless you want to lose them! Rocco Webb slammed the skins like a beast possessed, the patterns intricate yet powerful, but the true genius emanated from Marc, the singer, songwriter, guitarist (one of those annoying people who can do it all himself, you know the kind of Elliott Smith types I mean) who holds the reins of this "Rock 'n' Roll Animal" tight. His voice is captivating, the kind that can blast a hole through you as easily as lull you into a disturbed dreamland, Gainsbourg out drinking with Bowie early morning in Berlin. And he's possessed of the juice that has possessed all of the great Rock Icons we revere, swinging his guitar thru rich melodies, shrieking noises and shooting effects-laden hooks the size of Texas from the hip, shaking, grooving and jiving like Keith Richards circa 1972. The dual-fuel sound of the two guitars playing off of each other reminiscent of Television at times, The Cramps at others, always mind-blowing. One of the things that really turned me on was the use of keyboards and loops in their sound because it sets them apart from the current crop of Stooges wannabes adding a whole other dimension of derange to their already rich songs. The crowd stayed hooked the whole time, grooving and shaking, the girls trying to decide which of them to hit on after the show. In this little club Plastic Heroes came off of that stage like an atom bomb, tight, powerful and loaded with hooks, clearly ready to take their place at the top of the heap. I wish that I still ran a record label because I would have signed them to a major deal before they could have packed up their gear. You better wake up and catch them in some other dirty London shit-hole club before you can't afford the tickets to Wembley. Think I'm joking? Go see 'em. Review by Rick Hall (Alternative Press NYC) - Catch 22, London 31/07/02 Layers of analogue keyboard sounds spiral and swoop around us. Singer/Guitarist Marc Olivier stands centre stage in the realisation of his vision, a visceral brew of guitar hooks, biting bass lines and vocal melodies. A trip that takes in New York, Berlin, disaffection, love affairs, and impeccable dress sense. We're at 'The Cherry Jam' in West London, a small venue which tonight is being filled by big songs. Quirky keyboards and rock shapes add a welcome flavour to tonight's fare. The band visibly taste it as they plough through their eight song set with obvious relish. From the disconnected, edgy 'Television (Sucks Me In)' to the full on wall of sound that signifies the end of 'Mary B.' Marc leads the band looking something like a young Keith Richards and JJ Burnell, and sounding in places like a 'Funtime' Iggy. Simon Nelson flicks his hair and plays astonishing basslines with ease, his shy good looks earning him as many admirers as his playing. It's Rocking. We're left smiling. The future may yet be plastic! Review by John Ray (Roquette Reviews London) Cherry Jam, London, 18/06/02 "Plastic Heroes (are) an explosion of Bowie-esque guitars and punk posturing… poppy backing vocals puncturing raw thrashing melodies that are part Iggy Pop and part Blondie fronted by Serge Gainsbourg…If I were producing Top Of The Pops I would be playing bands such as the Plastic Heroes to spice up the show, not dragging on the judges from Fame Academy. Somebody needs to save pop culture from the grip of self-aggrandising fools like Pop Idol’s Simon Cowell…" BOY GEORGE Sunday Express 17/8/03 "You better wake up and catch them in some dirty London club before you can't afford the tickets to Wembley. Think I'm joking? Go see 'em." TOTAL ROCK, London. "Instant Rock Classics that explode in the memory banks and refuse to let go." B.BEAT, Birmingham. "Heroes deliver the goods with bullet-proof charisma and songs that are timeless..." GARGOYLE MAGAZINE London. "The spirit of London Rock 'n' Roll!" NEW YORK WASTE, NYC. |
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