Pazartesi 10 Ara 2007, 14:04

Fri 7 Dec – Dan Deacon, gay against you, No Age, Cutting Pink with Knives, John Maus

Okay so maybe I'm a little swept up in the festive spirit (a heady mix of alcohol, central heating and the sparkly baubles overhanging my monitor), but this gig was the perfect start to my weekend/intro to the Christmas party season.

For starters there were Cutting Pink With Knives showing flagrant disregard for The Dome's 8-ft-high stage setup, and reminding me why Populuxxe is one of my albums of the year (journal to follow when I can be bothered).

gay against you have a special place in my heart and they just cemented it, premiering some next-level shit just when you thought it didn't get no better (yes you can play telerad early on and get away with it), and spasming out in fetching furs.

I was way too uncool to have known who John Maus was pre-gig, but his performance under the eaves of Santa's grotto lit only by a string of Woolworth's best Xmas lights was otherworldly - where that world exists in a cavernous black club in North London, with only lo-fi electronics and an echoing vocal narrative to keep you warm. I do like that one of his tags is sounds even better when drunk 'cause OK I took my chances at the bar during his set.

No Age had a tough few acts to follow and a large waiting time, but by this time I was verily dancing to 20 Jazz Funk Greats' between-bands spinning (have a gander at their amaze blog) so nobody's loss. The band finally came on and lived up to the lineup however, sounding remarkably less prosaic than the other times I've seen them. There was a (somewhat orchestrated) stage invasion, the long-delayed gratification of Everybody's Down, and a good-gig smile on my face.

By the time Dan Deacon led the kids into a huddle formation round his glowing green skull like some kind of strange electronic Pied Piper I decided to get the Tube home like the old lady I am, but the best of the night had passed for me anyway and I was sufficiently spaced-out to forget my cardigan by the speaker (later recovered,you'll be glad to know).

Gig that makes me forget about cherished knitwear items = damn fine. AND there were free biscuits and cake. Fun, funner, funnest!