King Adora - Manchester Roadhouse - 24.11.03

Christina's the most talked about woman in pop, Britney's dropped the virginal shtick and admitted she flicks off like everyone else, Phixx are performing the most overtly sexual performances on TOTP since the days of Take That and now King Adora are back in full effect corrupting the kids with their own sexual revolution. Gone are the days of bland asexual performers, I mean when Gareth Gates was caught out shagging Jordan and women pay as much attention to what's in Jack White's trousers as to how he plays guitar it had to signal some kind of change didn't it.

King Adora's approximation of Glam rock has always been something that attracts his solid core of devotees on one hand and on the other vitriolic rage. For up and coming band the Glitterati the reaction is unlikely to be as disparate. Far from being the exciting world domination glam band the name suggest there's something strangely pedestrian about the Glitterati. All the requirements are in check from the wafer thing guitar sound to the high pitched yelps which have frequented every great glam record since the 70s, but the band to look at would be more suited behind a student bar than up on stage. Given time this the Leeds glam rockers may deliver the goods, but for the time being it's purely the hype machine in overdrive.

Once upon a time King Adora were fawned upon by the media who saw their dummed down version of Generation Terrorists era Manics as an alternative to the dull and drab bands on offer at the time. With the Darkness however providing the most exciting story of the past 20 years, King Adora are the sort of band who have been discovered through older brothers and sisters. The average age of the audience must be bordering on the illegal and Maxi and the boys get set to corrupt yet another generation with their tales of sex, drugs and rock and roll destruction. Recent b-side "9 Inches of Pure Malice" kicks things off with cocksure confidence. Twinned with the lead track "Drag" which sees them rewriting T-Rex's "London Boys" for the noughties and in true low rent fashion sees a budget of £20 effortless spent on poppers (of the party variety rather than the muscle relaxing type) which are unleashed on the audience by the Adora's cheap whores of roadies. Old classic such as "Smoulder", "Big Isn't Beautiful" and "Bionic" re-ignite what at times seems like stagnant audience during new songs "Asleep" and "Depressed". The newer material taking on a darker less immediate sound than old skool King Adora, but as the single suggests they've still got the ability to write cracking 3 minute singalong pop songs.

Whether King Adora will ever gain the notoriety they did back in the day is up for debate, but for the time being the baton certainly isn't being handed to the Glitterati. While the glamma kids are still in abundance the boys will still play on and for that we have to be grateful.

Alex McCann

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