Perfect Disco Pop
I have heard Robots In Disguise criticised several times now for riding the back of The Mighty Boosh’s success • Dee Plume is Noel Fielding’s long-term girlfriend • but in fact, Plume and band mate Sue Denim put out their first record the same year The Mighty Boosh broke onto Radio 4, and have built a big enough fan base in their own right.
The second act of the day • the girls get a lively reception. Breaking into “DJ’s Got a Gun”, they storm about the stage dressed as French clowns with huge ruffs around their necks, looking rather romantic in their vivid eye makeup, and surrounded by the electro beats they play.
The two are loud, shouty, determined to have a good time and want to make sure the crowd does as well. Their attitude oozing songs, “Girls” and “The Sex has Made me Stupid” ensure that the pace doesn’t let up. The stage crew spend most of the set having a minor breakdown as the microphones aren’t cordless and, Dee in particular keeps launching herself from the stage. During a cover of The Kinks “You Really Got Me” both girls leap to sing over the barrier and the crowd absolutely lap it up.
Also involved are two silver dancing robots, who high kick and wiggle about the stage, while Sue announces “we accept anyone in our band as long you’re a robot”. It’s fun all the way and the crowd favourite by far is “Turn it Up”, which, with its twinkling keyboards and slightly darker basslines make for a lot of jumping.
The crowd adore them • they are bold, beautiful and little bit brash. Their perfect disco-pop tunes, all sparkling electro noise and colour, are played with boundless enthusiasm and despite being told to remove themselves from stage - as they run over with one song left to play • they still leave waving and beaming at the crowd as if it were the best gig they’d ever played.