The Kills

From: Emma Sharp
To: Pip Stafford
Subject: The Kills

Hey
We have to write this freaking review. Let's cop out of actual work and write it via email. We'll say it's "arty".
What did you think of the Kills last night?
Yours
Emma Sharp

From: Pip Stafford
To: Emma Sharp

Hey Emma
Good idea.

The Kills...

They were everything that the "New Rock Revival" (I made that up myself) look and sound should be - catchy, skinny legged, loud and striped, like watching a Coca Cola ad. Over and over and over. Or listening to their record. I liked the lady-member's climbing up the curtains antics, however, even that seemed prefabricated. If you read the ingredients it would be slipped in there between flavour (621) and over-sized shirt. Sneaky. Oh and the music. Well, music was...there, loud and...like listening to the record. I felt that a live drummer would have been an asset - perhaps it would make it more of a "live" experience. I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't inspired either.

What about you?

Pip

From: Emma Sharp
To: Pip Stafford

Well I can't say I was completely wowed. I'd had the gig built up by a number of people but I think you might be a little unfair over the whole "schtick" thingo, you know? I mean, at the risk of sounding like a uneducated goon whose greatest achievement in life is a BA (as true as it may be) nothing seems all the original anymore so I'm at this point where I'm judging how much a I like a bands performance based on how well they pull off something that's been done 100 times before. It's not my usual yardstick, but it's like I've been painted into a corner.

Music wise, I liked it but a lack of narcotics meant that I found the repetitiveness of it all less hypnotic and more foot-soreness-inducing. See, I make up stuff too.

Emma

From: Pip Stafford
To: Emma Sharp

I guess my point was, not to try to judge their performance on how well they pull off the schtick, but to say that they WERE the schtick. It was blinding and hurt my eyes.

I allegedly may have been enjoying Tasmanian grown narcotics with the support act (how rock and roll am, I right now?) before The Kills started, so the repetitiveness MAY have been highlighted all too much. Who knows?

What about the support acts?

Pip

From: Emma Sharp
To: Pip Stafford

Well the Witch Hats who are pretty much my favourite Melbourne band at the moment went off - went off for the last 3 songs or so we heard anyway. But that was to be expected.

As for Damn Arms, I was sad when I moved to Melbourne and heard that Snap! Crakk!! had broken up because they were one of the reasons I packed up and left Tasmania (exaggeration). Damn Arms is two members or something from SC right? MY friend commented that they were one of those "all style no substance" bands hanging about at the moment, and I would pay that. But when did substance have to get in the way of a good arse dance?

Emma xo

From: Pip Stafford
To: Emma Sharp

My stance on Witch Hats is similar and biased, I guess. They are great musicians who will charm the pants off you given half a chance, buyer beware. I've seen these boys play to packed rooms and, conversely, rooms which contained very few people and they always seem to put on a good show.
I'm still fence sitting on Damn Arms. They sure are pretty. But, I want some meat in my pie, you know? Something tells me, that they might have it, but I'd rather see less hair product and more...something. Substance? Is that what you said Emma? Yeah. Substance. Having said that, they are catchy, vibrant and know how to wield their respective instruments. Still, I sit, I wait, I reserve judgement and will see them another time just to make sure.

Pip x

From: Emma Sharp
To: Pip Stafford

So I think that's about enough now. In summary, a good gig that neither of us were blown away by. Perhaps we are missing the point but it certainly hasn't put me off seeking out more of the Kills stuff in the future.

The End.

From: Pip Stafford
To: Emma Sharp

What she said.

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