Sean Bones and The Dig opened.

The Dig at Bowery Ballroom; April 6th 2009

The Rakes at Bowery Ballroom; April 6th 2009

Full set up on Prefix.

Up next: Ladytron and The Faint on Friday.

Date: March 21st 2006

London has come to visit New York, and has brought with it Plan B, Boy Kill Boy, Towers of London and The Rakes to put on something of a showcase for those of us still in the dark. All the bands also happened to be in the neighbourhood after the SXSW festival. Convenient!

Kicking off the show in a thoroughly depressing and morbid fashion, what with the singing of his friends being drug dealers, corpses and necrophilia, Plan B spends his set with eyes downcast. The music itself is mellow, just an acoustic guitar and drums – eventually it seems too repetitive. But the lyrics, even in all their doom and gloom, are a step above stuff that passes for rap over on this side of the Atlantic.

Boy Kill Boy brighten the room with their pop goodness, and are much better at warming up the crowd. ‘Suzie’ and ‘On And On’ prove their worth in a gig setting, and there are some in the audience who already knew the words, which always makes for a more interesting show. It won’t be a surprise if they’re back here to play a few more shows in the near future.

Bringing the terror, Towers Of London take to the stage. We bet noone inside the little pit could recall what kind of music they were actually playing, because there is such a thing as too much crowd interaction, and the line must be drawn at exploding bottles, lit cigarettes and spit flying, and most importantly – microphone stands being kicked around. The highlight is definitely ‘I’m A Rat’, sung at a crouch on top of a tall stack of house speakers; autobiographical, we’re sure. Conclusion: bring a rain poncho and a very sturdy helmet.

It’s a relief to see The Rakes appear without a murderous glint in their eyes. Alan Donohoe‘s robotic dancing and the non-stop pop tunes they churn out turns the pit in to a dancefloor. Song after song starts up, and every one is as good as the last. ‘The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect’ battled with ‘Strasbourg’ and ’22 Grand Job’ for best crowd pleaser, and though the honours might have to go to one of the latter tracks, ‘The World Was A Mess…’ wins for longest title.

The crowd is left soaked in drying alcohol and spit, but with a pleasant musical buzz, the unlucky left with a gashed forehead.

Previously published on This Is Fake DIY.