Lorraine - Blowout @ The Bierkeller - 21.4.06
You fall out of love with pop. You fall out of love with life. And right now there's a whole load of people in this country wallowing in their own pointless life's who live for the weekend dancing around to yet another classic Stone Roses record or another spin of the latest Charlatans record. Ok, maybe a little harsh, but there's never been a better time for creative pop music right now with the likes of Annie, Robots In Disguise and The Modern unleashing synthetic moments of pure pop perfection and yet each time they just about scrap into the Top 40 if they're lucky. You can add now add Lorraine to that list of perfect pop bands that should be a zillion times bigger than they are and are proud owners of the Top 30 hit "I Feel It"
Like all proper pop bands Lorraine continue the campaign for keeping music mimed. Paal is the musical maestro firing off all the samples, kicking in the drum machine and generally doing as much as he can not to actually play a note on his keyboard. Anders is the Richey Manic of the band, the epitome of cool who just stands there throwing the odd pose, looking like a beautiful androgynous doll and playing a guitar on mute. And then there's Ole Gunnar Gundersen, Lorraine's frontman who walks on stage the minute the first line's due to be delivered in the way only a 6ft 7" giant can. A Morten Harkett for the modern age he throws shapes, sings like an angel and is everything a popstar used to be pre-Westlife.
Of course without the tunes the concept would be ultimately redundant. "I Feel It", probably the best pop tune since Phixx's "Hold On Me", a glorious combination of Smith's sincerity wrapped up in an A-Ha production and ultimately the thing that slapped down Richard Fleeshman at Poptastics 10th Birthday Party a couple of weeks ago. "Tell Me Where You Wanna Go" sounds like a soulful Pet Shop Boys tunes with squiggley noodley electronica leading into a pumping four to the floor synth pop masterpiece. "Transatlantic Flight", their next single, should reach the heights of the Top 10 if justice prevails.
Lorraine are one of the best bands this country has seen in years so lets embrace them and make sure they don't skulk off back to Norway crazing affection
Alex McCann
Live Photos: Andy Stubbs www.shoot-first.com
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