This years Les Nuits Botanique is getting better and better and yesterday evening that was the same when we could attend two signings of the mighty Subpoplabel.
In the 90’s the Subpoplabel might have been famous for its grunge crusade (Nirvana were on them) but last years the label has broaden their horizons and some months ago, they could happily announce that they signed Dum Dum Girls.
Dum Dum Girls might be a name for the press but publicwise there wasn’t that much of a storm to be noticed.
Are we speaking about some hype?
Yes indeed, Dum Dum Girls are perhaps one of the most hyped bands from last months.
But first it was time to watch another hype : Male Bonding.
The name from the trio speaks for itself and it’s true that these London boys see their noisepop in a different perspective.
Bassist Kevin Hendrick learnt the bass by hearing his 33rpm records at 45 rpm, so that speaks for itself, they’re not your average boys…
Anyway, yesterday Male Bonding gave us an uppercut from 25 minutes.
At times the guitars were so loud that you couldn’t recognize them (My Bloody Valentine revisited) and neither the voice from Kevin or John could overrule the wall of sound.
A very fine mess indeed and more than once I was thinking of the godlike sound from gone glories like Fugazi, Big Black or even Unwound.
Indeed, nothing new but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s bad, at the contrary!!!
And then it was time for Dum Dum Girls!
Anyone who is into alternative music knows that today good music is to be found in the US.
Dum Dum Girls is nothing more than a bedroomproject that got out of its shape.
Singer Dee Dee (even husband Crocodiles singer Brandon Welchez is forced to name her as such) started with some friends, like the example Vivian Girls, an all girlband in where 60’s garagerock was melted with a Phil Spector-sound, added with some Jesus & Mary Chain-guitars.
The dirtier it sounds the better and that can be heard on their debutalbum “I will be” even if it’s closer to Nancy Sinatra as it’s to My Bloody Valentine.
You could see that too when they entered the stage.
Those who were expecting that Dum Dum Girls are the ultimate rockbitches, were definitely wrong as these girls who are named after that album by The Vaselines, are more from the shy type.
After minutes of waiting and hesitating, the four girls finally decided to give it a go and they started with a magnificent version of Rolling Stones’ “Playing with fire”.
Already from that moment, they stole the public’s heart even if it wasn’t that much from their side, as apart from a timid “thank you” and introducing Sandy as their new drummer, the L.A.-foursome weren’t that much of a talkative band.
After 30 minutes of shiny garagerock that was mostly taken from their debut we knew that the name of Dee Dee wasn’t chosen out of the blue as their music isn’t that far away from the early outputs by The Ramones.
Those who will tell you today that Dum Dum Girls are the best band around, simply don’t know what they’re talking about as you can find hundreds of them, just think of The Raveonettes.
But it’s clear these women don’t want such glorifying titles themselves either as apart from having a short set, these women are sober and aren’t pretending that they’re the next big thing.
What is true is that I saw a band on stage that has so much freshness around them that you’re aware that they are one of the finest things of the moment and we can only hope that they’ll stay for a couple of years.
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