Date: May 18th 2006

Pee Pee and Pony (otherwise known respectively as Paula Cullen and Caoimhe Derwin – yes, they’re stage names) man their xylophone and keyboard, Pony sporting a Dorothy (of Wizard of Oz fame) inspired dress, and sparkly red high heels, while the boys stay in the shadows. Their set is short and sweet, just like must have been intended, but with a knowing, sly dirtiness underneath, especially as the girls and boys face-off in ‘Theme From Chalets’, and finish off with ‘Love Punch’ and its declaration of “I know you love me/but you’re fucking crazy”. Now, isn’t that sweet.

Next up is Art Brut 47; you’ve probably never heard of such a band, but the name We Are Scientists should ring a bell. Their secret appearance was a not-very-well kept secret, but throughout the set Keith Murray insists that they’re an Art Brut cover band, playing songs from an as yet non-existent follow up to ‘Bang Bang Rock And Roll’. The songs sound oddly familiar. The natives are not fooled nor unduly surprised, and proceed to sing and dance to their heart’s content to ‘Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt’ and ‘Inaction’ among others. For the grand finale, Mr and Mrs Eddie Argos with Jasper Futures in tow jump out on stage for a rousing, choreographed dance during ‘The Great Escape’, completely delighted in having succeeded in their stage invasion. Sadly no actual Art Brut covers are to be had.

Art Brut themselves take the stage, Argos enters triumphantly to the strains of ‘Enter Sandman’, and that’s when the madness begins, mounting higher with every song until the cacophonous end. Everyone is pushing and moshing, trying to dance to every single song – even the recently written ‘Nag Nag Nag’. Though Art Brut may be posing as a mock-up of a band, the audience is taking it all very seriously. During ‘Bang Bang Rock And Roll’, as is ironically appropriate, Eddie gets dragged in to crowdsurfing, managing to one-up everyone in the process by jumping around like a maniac in the middle of the audience, most of whom are slightly bewildered. Madness, we tell you!

Art Brut may have played New York at least half a dozen times in the last few months with virtually the same antics, and same set list, but it hasn’t got old yet, and is likely to amuse for several months to come.

Previously published on This Is Fake DIY.