Hot Sprockets 16 April 2010
Apparently, once upon a time, two chillers (Joe and Wayne) while touring, were a little down on their luck or on their uppers, ended up working in a cornfield. While there, they met Frank and Age (also presumably of the chiller ilk) and decided to kick out some jams under a tree. Running for the tree they tripped over Tim. He said: “Hey, you wanna Rock it?” and they all cried in unison “Like a Hot Sprocket!!!!”
It’s true, not a word of a lie. I read it here.
So bearing all this in mind last Friday night I headed into the Village to see the Hot Sprockets play a dual set with Scarecrow disco. I had heard the name the Hot Sprockets bandied about before this gig came up and it seems a good few people I know have seen them and have been very impressed, but I hadn’t had the pleasure before.
And it was. A pleasure, that is. Great fun and energy from the get go.
They present a very impressive amount of unruly hair in a world of architecturally structured asymmetric haircuts. Sporting butterfly collar shirts too, all in line with their retro folk/rock sound.
Four years playing together (well their birthday being the next day) the crowd were obviously familiar with their music and loved them, leaping around with consistent enthusiasm all the way through the set. And the band seem to enjoy it just as much, you get a strong sense of fun from them, not taking themselves too seriously.
A couple of songs were real crowd pleasers and still in my head days later with really catchy choruses, “Sleep Shake” being one of them that is well and truly embedded now. They all seem to sing at some stage and a few take turns on the drums. They have a number of upcoming gigs in May and June and well worth a look. A good few appearances will be at festivals which would be a great way to see them, back to their roots: in a field.
They released a limited edition double A-side 7″ vinyl with “Honey Skippin” from the Hot Sprockets , and the Crows song is “Your Parrots Low on Batteries..”. But I didn’t get a voucher, as wasn’t amongst the first 200 hundred, so I tried to buy one. But no, not to be had, when they say 200 limited edition vinyl, they mean it.
So on the way out the door someone was absentmindedly waving a bunch of them around, my friend went up and did a bit of a “Here my mate tried to buy one, they don’t have any left and she really wants one” or words to that affect. I know, I know, all very school yard. But anyway thanks to an Al O’Shea I got one. I mean, you know vinyl. Proper.
Yep, all in all they rocked it like a Hot Sprocket. I feel a little dirty saying that though.
Hey these guys sound great! Will have to look out for them.
They sound like a grand bunch of lad altogether
Great review! Sounded like a great night.