One of the recurring curiosities of Oxford’s December gig listings is the annual return of Electric Six, a band who had a few hit singles in the early noughties, riding the waves of the post-millennial indie explosion, but from whom many of us have not heard much since. Hailing from the same Detroit music scene which spawned The White Stripes, you almost certainly know their debut UK single ‘Danger (High Voltage)’ (which featured a contractually-pseudonym’d Jack White on supporting vocals) and the equally catchy and playful ‘Gay Bar’, but I was curious to see how big an audience the band could command ten years after their cultural zenith.
Opening for Electric Six tonight is the student band Stroke Of Luck, whose slightly overwrought, earnest indie rock seems painfully at odds with the wilfully camp and ridiculous headliners and main support Andy D. Musically the guys seem to be fairly accomplished, if under-rehearsed, but the songs themselves are a little uninspired – imagine Coldplay with an injection of the Kooks and you’d be somewhere near. On a more like-minded bill I’m sure Stroke Of Luck could have come across far better, but as it stands they seem to have been on the rough end of some poorly-judged or cynical booking process at the O2 tonight.
If from here on out, early-noughties nostalgia is the name of the game, then Andy D is definitely the spiritual successor to Har Mar Superstar (or perhaps he’s just the bastard child of Har Mar and Peaches). Wearing a sleeveless denim jacket, pink spandex and a mullet, Andy D hits us with some straight up electro-filth, proudly proclaiming his sexual prowess, his gut flapping under the stage lights as he comically gesticulates whilst rapping about his dick. No major musical revelations to be found here – a primitive 808 providing the beat, funky synths providing the rest – but a fair amount of comedy value which perfectly lightens the mood for a set which will almost certainly be rife with sexual innuendo.
By the time Electric Six come on, the room is absolutely heaving which answers my doubts about the band being able to command a sizeable audience. While only two of the original band members still remain, frontman Dick Valentine is still a vital – if bizarre – presence on stage and is clearly enjoying himself, soaking up the abundant energy of the audience. It’s not entirely clear what percentage of the audience is here solely to hear the aforementioned singles (although I could make an educated guess), but we soon learn that the band are here promoting their ninth (!) album and as such the majority of their set appears to span all of these releases. Countering my suspicion that the band would save the real fan favourites until last, they kick into ‘Gay Bar’ almost immediately to an uproarious response which is only outdone by a faithful rendition of ‘Danger (High Voltage)’ towards the end. Strangely, other recognisable songs from their back-catalogue are missing (including ‘Dance Commander’ and their cover of Queen’s ‘Radio Ga Ga’) but they have a dedicated portion of the audience singing along through much of their set which suggests that their appeal, while possibly dwindling, is still strong with some people here. But inevitably most of their set fails to meet the highs of their best-known songs, relying mainly on pastiche and tongue-in-cheek mimicry – funk, new wave, rock n’ roll and disco all have their place in Electric Six’s discography with varying degrees of success.
I came here for the novelty factor and to satiate my curiosity, and by both counts it was a successful night, although it was not one that I will feel the need to repeat next December.
[Originally published on Music In Oxford, 16/12/2013]
http://www.musicinoxford.co.uk/2013/12/16/electric-six-andy-d-stroke-of-luck-o2-academy-2-oxford-131213/
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