Saturday, May 17, 2008

You know you're a rock star when....


Saw The Kills at Richards this week. Unlike the Chan, I can video to my heart's content at Richards - but as you'll see if you bother watching the videos, or even from the still I pulled here, it was so dark it was pretty much like filming in a cave. So dark that the band actually asked to have the lights turned up half way through. The still, by the way, was taken AFTER the lights were turned up.

Not that the darkness was without purpose...or something like that. The edgey, prowl-y raw tension of the band works in the semi-dark. And therein lies one of the signs of true rock stardom...other signs?

2) Supermodels want to sleep with you -check. Kate Moss, she of impeccable taste in heroin-chic men, is now dating guitarist Jamie Hince, who from where I am sitting is a few notches up the ladder from Pete Doherty.

3) You are cool without effort - this is harder to quantify, but they are both just...cool...whatever that word means. When we showed up to line up outside the venue, they were hanging out smoking, on their way to go for a meal, and they just looked...naturally cool. This is a stark contrast to a large component of the audience, who were trying on the cool front. It's such a fine line. But you've either got it or you don't.

4)You can prowl on stage and not look like an idiot - check.

5) Your face is obscured by your hair - check.

6) Your songs are featured on teen-focussed TV shows - check (see Gossip Girl). This is, like, not always a good thing....

It was a really good night. And the opening act, White Lung, was worth listening to as well...and watching, not only because the lead singer is a dead ringer for my highschool pal Barb - in body/hair/outfit...scary. Welcome back, 1982.

Here's one video - more, as always, here. There are some White Lung videos as well for those interested. Next up: Beirut (yay!), the Breeders, and Dan Mangan at the Penthouse strip club if I can convince anyone to go with me...


*Update* My brother just loaded this one - a far better example of the night...

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