Future of the Left at Leeds 2012
As the NME – Radio 1 tent fills up those who enter are greeted by a scowling madman. This man is Falco of Future of the Left and McLusky fame. Still playing with Jack Egglestone (drums) but now with Julia Ruzicka of Million Dead fame on dirty scuzzy bass, and rival madman (also on guitar) Jimmy Watkins who completes his escaped mental patient look with an ill advised bobble hat, which he takes little time to head bang off, to reveal a freshly shaven head. As the latest addition to this band he brings a set of simplistic but effective hooks, coupled with a crazed yelp that serves as backing to Falco's deranged screams.
Pounding drums lead stand out album track Beneath The Waves An Ocean causing hair on the back of necks to stand to attention. Where as recent single Sheena Is A T-Shirt Salesman is a non-stop helta-skelta. Elsewhere the bass line on Manchasm matches the vocal line with the keyboard playing simple single notes over a drone. It also includes some Daryl Palumbo like vocals screamed over the top of the three way vocal part ending: "Colin is a pussy, a very pretty pussy", now supplemented by catchy handclaps. It is child-like but that, along with it's simplicity, is part of the songs charm.
This old fan favourite might soon become outstripped by the sharp wit of new offering Robocop 4 - Fuck Off Robocop. Today it goes down a storm and sounds absolutely huge. The dry lyrics, about films (specifically sequels) being more about making money than creating art, are both thought provoking and hilarious at the same time: In "Pirates of the Caribbean 47", Johnny Depp stars as the robot priate who loses his wife in a game of poker and tries to win her back with hilarious consequences. At least Harry Potter has a proper story in the sense that the characters crave an ending. If only to release poor Billy Corgan from his role as the "titular character's nemesis." Spot on. They then send the few dedicated fans into a final frenzy, much to the shock and amusement of the casual spectators, with Falco declaring "this is not a cover", before they play Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues (originally a McLusky track), which derails itself into indecipherable maddened screams.