|
So, the support act is back in fashion,
is it? Good oh - always nice to see people getting value for money.
Trying to give us good value tonight are The New Mexicans, a slightly
perplexing proposition - "New", they certainly may be (I'd never
even heard of them before), but "Mexican" they most certainly are
not. Not one poncho, no big floppy hats, no straw donkeys, no Pinatas,
no tacos, no burritos, no cigars, not even a scouser shouting "Alright,
Gringo, count us in...". Mind you, their singer did at least sound
vaguely american. Until he started talking, at which point any Trans-Atlantic
intonations mysterioulsy vanished. Hey ho.
Petty nit-picking aside on the name-calling front, why don't you
do your job and tell us about the bloody band, Pad? Oh, alright,
then. But only because you asked so nicely. Ver Mexicans are a four
piece band, with guitars, drums, keyboards and a singing bass player,
who (my gripes about accents aside) did a very convincing job as
front-man for the band. Some strong lyrics and a good sound mix,
with the vocals way up, only served to emphasise his role as the
focal point of the band. As to his compadres, they set about conjuring
up a backing of fairly simple but effective interlocking lines.
Nice to see Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes on keyboards, too.
The overall feel of their music is of a fairly american-based set
of tastes, filtered through english pop sensibilities - a bizarre
mix of The Doors, and even (curiously) the Crash Test Dummies, as
heard by the Jam or Starsailor, and lines like "My love is gone
away" under those plunky organ riffs do nothing to allay those Doors
comparisons.. Their delivery, however, is possibly their major stumbling
block; nicely constructed songs that end abruptly (one imagines
that the alternative was either stopping or sticking on an extra
verse and chorus), and an altogether too-restrained performance
leave one feeling just a little bit flat, which, when in tandem
with lyrics like "I don't remember a time when I felt so elated"
left me feeling just a wee bit unconvinced. Only their last song
really rocked out, and it was well appreciated by the large crowd.
Coincidence? No, I don't think so.
|
