Noise is for Heroes
The fabulously named Shingai Shoniwa (vocals and bass) arrives on stage resplendent in a huge head dress and receives due applause from a good sized crowd in the NME tent. London based The Noisettes really are a band on the up, as they have been since the release of their first single back in 2005. It's difficult to sum up their sound, they are all at once quirky, arty, punky, indie and rock, which gives them quite a unique sound. All of this is augmented by Shoniwa's impressive voice, big and powerful it really drives the songs along and as a front woman she is quite captivating.
The songs are by and large upbeat and lively, held together by Jamie Morrison's wild drumming. Shoniwa switches to guitar occasionally and then dispenses with instruments altogether, all of which gives them a varied and interesting sound and style. It's a good visual performance too as she climbs up on the bass drum, working both the stage and the crowd with confidence. Climbing down to initiate some crowd participation has the desired effect before they produce the highlight of the set with the excellent 'Bridge to Canada'.
They've already made an impact across the pond, appearing on US TV earlier this year and look set to build on this with a north American tour throughout November. On todays evidence they look to be an export we can be proud of.