Idle Hands / Superstar Pelican
Week 12 - 5th May 2005
By Sharkey

Well here we are at the final battle of the first round, tensions are high as this is the deciding night as to who will go through into the next round. But first…

Idle Hands exploded onto the stage with their cover of “Word Up” and a huge horde of people rushed to the stage dancing and showing their general admiration for Idle Hands. The size of the crowd almost equalled Ornate Purpose’s gathering a few weeks back.

The singer had a brilliant amount of personality addressing the crowd at each song interval. This especially showed during “Killing In The Name Of” where he showed brilliant dynamics in both the aggressive loud parts and soft whispered parts.

Their set consisted mostly of covers but had a couple of originals one of which was the bands infamous Beer Goggles which got a huge response from the crowd who were singing along to chorus at the demands of the singer. Some of their covers were re-worked songs including a fast rock version of “Nothing Compares” and a pop-rock version of “Because I got high”.

Banner and placards were everywhere in the crowd, brought by the bands local fan club who seemed to excite the already large crowd. Strangely enough although the lead guitarist was an excellent guitarist he didn’t seem to move around or acknowledge the crowd but I suppose his amazing guitar playing made up for that.

For their cover of “Chasey Lain” the band brought out a couple of very attractive dancers who performed a minor strip much to the joy of the male members of the audience. The whole band put on an excellent show with good drumming, brilliant guitar work and upfront singing. Lots to watch with this band when you see them, great performers.

Superstar Pelican - as soon as Superstar Pelican started playing it was obvious they had a very powerful atmosphere about them with plenty of movement. They were a brilliant mixture of funk/rock and emo/metal with some excellent playing from all members of the band.

Even though they didn’t have quite the same fan-base as Idle Hands they still managed to get a crowd of people up for their setlist (which consisted mostly of original songs). One of their originals had some brilliant dynamics in it, especially the Tool-esque bass line’s mixed with the U2-esque guitar lines which, although a bizarre mix, gave a brilliant sound and a styled genre to them. It soon developed into a brilliant and powerful song which slowly became one of my favourites.

Although the bassist seemed to be having an epidemic fit on stage as a result of the emotion of the song, he had a good stage personality and one of the best this year. The whole band had that vibe about them that they were committed to the music and presenting it the audience.

A lot of their songs did have fuck/rock exits which reminded me a lot of material written by “Rage Against The Machine”. The songs had good contrasts in them ranging from soft rock ballad moments to full on heavy rock breakdowns

They aren’t Pelicans, but they could well be superstars. This is a band to keep an eye out for…

Well I’d say who was on next week for the first week of Round 2, but I don’t know yet, so I won’t. See you next week!

Jo writes:

It’s the round I’ve been waiting for, even if the rest of you haven’t: the delicious Superstar Pelican against the inimitable Idle Hands! I don’t know how anyone dared miss it. Aforementioned ‘Hands took to the stage, predictably enough, to a veritable cascade of noise. The sight of red fluffy cuffs on Lee’s crotch must’ve inflamed many a female teenage heart tonight – and, ever the gracious hosts, the band even provided a little something for the gents in the form of two scantily clad dancers. Good job the ladies only stayed on for one song, though – they’d catch their death.
The screaming didn’t abate for the whole set; sandwich boards, tshirts, hats abounded; the band lapped it up and whipped the loyal pit into a frenzy. We’ve established the fabulous showmanship of these guys, they really have it down to a tee; I found it hard to remember at times that we were just at another Yarmouth battle, and not a packed UEA. But what about the actual musicianship? Well there’s nothing wrong with the talent on offer, there was a lot of skill emanating from all members (love ya, Banjo!) …but if only it were put to better use. A set full of covers strikes terror into my heart, and I know they’re all capable of better. I mean, who could top “Beer Goggles” as an anthem for our times? I’ve got a horrible feeling that the 50/50 rule has already been implemented, and if this is the case IH are going down. What a pity, as from the point of view of simply having a good time, they kicked ass.

If I were in Superstar Pelican, I would be shitting a brick after that. Lucky I’m not, then, as the lovely Loddon lads turned in a lush performance highly worthy of a place in the next round. As their mélange of heartfelt emo and pounding rock beats rang out over the audience, more and more of them got up to show a little appreciation; I even saw a few Hands converts. In this band I saw a lot of what we’ve been lacking at L&L recently: they moved, they had eye-contact, they had complex basslines, even! The guitar was elegant yet formidable, mightily impressive for a band with only one of ‘em. And the lead singer done good, which I know I always hold in high regard - particularly impressive was the astonishingly long note he held, in tune and powerful. Wannabe egotists take note: tonight was a case study in good frontman-ship. Put the ability of SP with the charisma of IH and you’re on fire.
So in conclusion: a fun end to the first round, it’s been an intriguing one. In keeping with lazy webjournalist tradition, I shall do shorter reviews as of now: probably simply indicating level of improvement from last round, and whether I believe they’ll go through. See you two weeks from now, Blakey’s covering for me next week…

Majere writes:

So here we are, the final heat of Round One of the L&L BOTB. Outside the Marina centre, lunatics in top hats and sandwich boards prophesy the coming of Idle Hands to the unbelievers of Great Yarmouth seafront. As a steady rain bedraggles the waiting punters, thoughts turn to the entertainment to come...

IDLE HANDS - Unless you've been living under a rock- and a rock bereft of internet access at that- you'll probably have heard of Idle Hands by now. Formed so recently that they were moved from their original competion-starting slot to give them time to prepare, the five-piece have been polarising opinion ever since. And now, finally, it is the turn of the L&L competition to feature the band that it suddenly seems everyone is talking about. Hitting the stage to a riotous reception from an already sizeable crowd, Idle Hands launch straight into a solid cover of "Word Up". Immediately it is obvious that Idle Hands are all about the frontman. Whilst the rest of the band provide a tight accompaniment, he capers, shouts, gesticulates and generally does all he can to whip the crowd up into a frenzy.

That said, other members of the band seem also to have generated their own fan-clubs, most obviously the redoubtable Ozzy who sports a borrowed topper for the first few tracks and is regaled by banner-wielding fans. Moving swiftly into "Killing In the Name Of..", Idle Hands bring a rockier, groovier feel to the track that once again divides opinion- the crowd at the front clearly love it, but elsewhere are mutterings that the point of the track has been missed amid the joviality.

Crucially, Idle Hands pick this moment to roll out their first original, "Wishing Well", a decent enough track enlivened by the frontman's decision that his audience are in need of a quick shower, which is duly provided with a water-bottle. Next up is a set highlight, an inspired ska-esque retooling of Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2U". Gone is the whining of the follicly-challenged Celt, replaced by a lively rendition that has a joyous crowd bouncing happily. The frontman chooses to tackle the rogue high notes with a James Hetfield style pseudo-squeak, which simply adds icing to an already quite comic cake. Speaking of comedy, Bowling For Soup's "The Bitch Song" gets a lively airing before the infamous Idle Hands dancers take the stage (these girls need a proper name!) for the Bloodhound Gang's "The Ballad of Chasey Lain". Things really take off, though I felt that the Idle Hands version was maybe a little too fast for the full effect of the songs hilarious lyrics to be delivered.

The girls respond to the line 'show 'em them titties!' by flinging off their shirts, though sturdy stage-bras prevent any Janet Jackson moments. Interestingly, and perhaps responsibly given the tender age of some of the audience, the controversial last line of the track is somewhat glossed over...

After another well-received cover version, this time of Ugly Kid Joe's "Everything About You", Idle Hands tackle another firm fan favourite, Electric Six's "Gay Bar". Though their somewhat hyperactive version does lose some of the track's charm- most notably that famous twanging intro- matters are greatly redeemed by a well-planned walkabout that takes singer and guitarist behind the main body of the crowd for some in-your-face action. The Detroit mentalists would doubtless approve. And speaking of mental, the second original, "Beer Goggles", is a whole level above the first, tackling that "what the hell did I sleep with" issue with all the subtlety and reserve of a gorilla with a machinegun.

The crowd are encouraged to sing and clap along, with the band even stopping the track halfway through and starting again (this time with the singer wearing the now-famous topper) so that the crowd can get it right. After such lunacy, a rocked-up cover of "Because I Got High" probably comes as less of a surprise than a straight version of Creed's "My Sacrifice".

With time running out, the band run through a swift 'meet the band' session with some truly indulgent riffage, especially from the more buff guitarist who rather resembles Vin Diesel's long lost kid brother. Finally, Idle Hands rip through the Foo Fighter's "Monkey Wrench", another great track capably performed, though anoraks like myself will note that three breaths are required to tackle Dave Grohl's epic end-of-song rant. Finishing on this strong note, Idle Hands leave a happy audience in their wake, and leave Superstar Pelican with a lot to do. On a more critical note, this is a performance based far more on great showmanship coupled with solid, if unspectacular performances of mostly very lighthearted material, than on great musical innovation. Much like 30,000 feet the week before, the test for Idle Hands will be how they develop their own material- and on the evidence of recent weeks, we'll all know about it as they do!

Majere thinks Idle Hands should cover: "The Worst Hangover Ever" (The Offspring)

Though some of the crowd have filtered out, it's good to note that many stay in attendance for the next act. Sadly, too many of them are at the bar, and gaining liquid refreshment becomes almost a bridge too far. Almost, but fortunately, not quite!

SUPERSTAR PELICAN - There are mixed omens for melodious punkers Superstar Pelican. Though the hall is well-attended, it's clear that many of them were here for Idle Hands (the banners and sandwich boards were the clue!), and those who remain are mostly of the variety that stay glued to chairs. After what seems like a slightly murky soundcheck, the band declare themselves happy and we're underway. Opener 'Nite Nite' (sic) sets out the stall- the vocals are melodious and delivered with confidence, the guitar sound mercifully clean (though plagued at times by a booming feedback) and the drumming precise. In deference to either Forever Falling's successful half-naked-drummer gambit, or the stage's notorious heat,

Superstar Pelican's drummer has likewise dispensed with the shirt, and he, along with the becapped bass player, provide much of the energy of the set, jamming seamlessly between tracks as the water-bottle comes out and generally keeping things ticking along. Indeed, said bass player is a revelation, dancing about and engaging in Rage Against The Machine theatrics that greatly boost the entertainment value. ("It's the biggest stage we've ever played on" he will comment later, "it seemed a shame not to use it!") The band's frontman is also very animated, though his odd habit of constantly miming "man with wig caught in high wind" is unintentionally amusing. On "Jigsaw Man", the second track and a potential crowd-pleaser, he mixes strong long notes with cries of 'put your fist in the air!' that will doubtless one day be answered by many.

Tonight, however, the crowd are still making up their minds, and the front row will ebb and flow between being merely two-strong to a fairly decent throng. "Red Dawn Rising" kicks off with a suitably cyrillic-sounding riff and deliberate pace, but soon explodes into an energetic tumult that swells the ranks of the fickle fans. The bassist is on particularly fine form here, but mention must be made of his six-stringed counterpart, whose performance is less extroverted but no less powerful. Indeed, despite fielding only two guitars, Superstar Pelican's general sound is thick, meaty and satisfying.

"Y-Classify" sees some powerful wails emanate from the frontman before things come to an impressively solid stop. "Streetlights" is possibly most notable for the extended jam that precedes it, which begins as a waterbreak for frontman and guitarist but then leaves them waiting to get on with it as bass and drums steal the show! "Just a Star" brings Pearl Jam to mind with its bluesy intro and stylings before the staccato intro of "Dissolution of Fortune" adds some solid stomping to the proceedings. Finally, things close off with "Don't Forget to Breathe", which features every singer's nightmare- the unaccompanied opening line! With this hurdle leapt after a considerable run-up,

Superstar Pelican finish up in fine style to a good sized crowd who have responded to their calls for more support. The end of the track is another impressive moment, as things stop on a sudden drum hit, the very bounce-back of which seems to propel the stick straight into the surprised crowd. Indeed, so abrupt is the end of the set that there are a few moments of slight confusion before the night is officially drawn to a close. On a night on which they could easily have become little more than a footnote, Superstar Pelican may just have turned themselves into a headline.

Majere thinks Superstar Pelican should cover: "Alive" (Pearl Jam)

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