Live Review: The Barons Of Tang + Mikelangelo and the Tin Star – The Brunswick East Club (28.02.12)

The second last night of music at the East Brunswick club was an occasion to remember and celebrate. A snippet of a little reminder on the men’s bathroom door was very to the point: “I hope the new owners go financially bankrupt.

While it was probable that piece of graffiti was going to be wiped off in a few weeks, the recaptured images in my mind of the brilliant, eclectic, and sometimes odd gigs over the years here won’t go away. The room was a young space, hosting gigs since 2006, but the talent which played here certainly showed years of perfected musical craft, which made for brilliant memories.

Placing me in a room with a bunch of joyous, dancing, happy people is an experience, but when those on stage are being joyous and happy at 10 times the audience level, then the night gets majorly interesting. Mikelangelo and the Tin Star are that type of band who don’t want silence, they want loud noise and movement 99% of the time. Suave, sexy, and very much aware of the significance of the event, Mikelangelo pretty much went to any extent to give entertaining banter. Brilliant silliness incorporating mic stands and go-go girls complemented the roaring instrumentals and swaggering shanties. Sex was pouring from the stage, and when you do it in high pants, well, I suppose I have no hope of being a lead singer.

The Barons of Tang exploded into their set like a firework going wildly out of control. Their crazy songs like “Even If You’re Missing Fingers You Can Still Form A Fist” and “It’s Hard To Smile When You’re Whistling” blended into a soundtrack of a film about a vaudevillian style American spring break holiday. Once again, sensing the mood of the occasion, the band just partied their little hearts out, and the audience kept up. For a Tuesday crowd, it was amazing to see punters jump up and down and crowd surf for good music. I suppose the sense of occasion made it that little bit more momentous.

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