The Big Pink at The Electric Ballroom

The Big Pink at The Electric Ballroom

26 October, 2009
by: Gina Louise

Having recently been deemed Spoonfed's dad rock reporter, I thought I'd make an effort to shake this stigma and get down with the kids by checking out the latest skinny jeaned instalment to the indie scene, The Big Pink. So donning my best over-sized cardigan and long sock combo, I head down to The Electric Ballroom to see what passes for cool these days.
 
Smock wearing support act We Fell To Earth fill the warm up spot, and take to the stage with a crash of guitars, reverb and smoke. Hailing from the magical and enigmatic surroundings of Rancho de la Luna Studios (where the likes of QOTSA's Josh Homme's hang out), their music is understandably a little on the ethereal side.
 
Their calculated shoegaze is ambient and melancholic, laden with heartfelt lyrics and full of catchy riffs. Their sound fits perfectly with the dingy inlays of Camden's Electric Ballroom, and is well received by the hoards of adoring Big Pink fans. Epic sounding cosmic rock combines with roaring guitars and haunting vocals, sending the crowd into a trance that they don’t emerge from until main attraction hit the stage.
 
A band with a long resume of musical endeavours; (Milo Cordello runs the Klaxons producing record label Merok and Robbie Furze founded the group Panic DD), The Big Pink tick all the boxes on the indie specification list; roaring guitars, plenty of reverb, moany indecipherable yet oh so meaningful lyrics, and the obligatory I-found-my-outfit-on-the-floor-it-just-so-happens-to-match look.  But I can't help feeling something is missing. Yeah, they look good on paper, but on the stage they lack originality and personality.
 
With the front man baring 'overdone it on the steroid' arms, a Nick Grimshaw haircut and an outfit befitting of Depeche Mode front man Dave Gahan, it looks like he has taken one aspect from all his childhood inspirations and mixed them all together in some weird recipe for an indie disaster. Their set seems to be more focused on the aesthetics than music, and there are many picture perfect moments of a floppy haired front man silhouetted by blinding lights against a smoke filled back drop.
 
Despite my palpable dislike for the band, the rest of the crowd loves it, and the venue is packed out. There is a fair bit of push and shove as their most famous song comes on. That one with the original lyrics about girls falling over at their feet. You know, the one from the advert. I guess that should’ve been my first hint that these weren’t going to be the band for me.
 
Yet whilst The Big Pink are not really my thing, you can tell that they are going to enjoy a medium-sized career, full of T4 interviews, groupies and advert-style catchy songs. Staring at the smiling faces of these under-fed, hair mousse obsessants, I decide from now on I will stick to what I know.
 
On that note, watch out for my Shakespeare’s Sister Interview, coming soon…

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Gina Louise