Ah, there's nothing like a bit of rock n roll! A crowd as mixed as the music the band play is still filing in as the psychedelic noise starts, with "Be In". The Dandy Warhols have presence, a very mixed presence though, over the course of a mammoth 3-hour plus set.
All the favourites are there, the rocking "Not if you were the last junky on earth", a Courtney solo with "Everyday should be a holiday", "Minnesota", and "Boys better"(complete with full on windmills from guitarist Peter!).
At times staring right into your eyes, with full on intensity, and at times looking clearly bored. The Dandy Warhols aren't a straightforward rock outfit, but I think that’s part of their appeal.
They go from soaking up the admiration from the crowd, to leaving the song usual structure, and meandering off into unexplored musical territories, including a brief foray into dub reggae at one point.
It is at these times you know the Warhols aren't doing this to make money. They love music, at times you feel like you might as well not be there; the band seem content to play to themselves, jamming spectacularly.
And its just when it starts to sound monotonous, that’s when they bring it back on, straight into a crowd pleaser, and sure enough, everyone obliges by pogoing enthusiastically.
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Not since Fugazi last year have I known a band play for so long, another tribute to the fact that these guys love making music, and I'm sure would be doing the same whether 10 people or 1,000 show up.
"I have never seen them sound so good", a young fan gushes enthusiastically, "I've seen them twice before, and sometimes they get too high before they come on!"
The Dandy Warhols sound is undeniably more to British tastes. Hailing from Portland Oregon, leaving the heavier rock to the yanks, The Warhols psychedelic post-Indie, is more mature and tongue in cheek than most of their American contemporaries.
That’s fine with us.
If last night's gig is anything to go by, the Dandy Warhols have much more noise to make this side of the pond, before they are anywhere near finished.
If you like their music, go and see them live, and if not, there's quite clearly something wrong with you!
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