Live Review from Underground 39:
A change of pace then, as Bad Hair Year took the stage. This is a two piece consisting of a guitarist and a drummer, both of whom sing. The opening song – called Opener, we were informed – was a chiaroscuro number (look it up!) consisting of a catchy guitar riff and cymbals, interspersed with chunky chords and blasting drums (think Song 2, by Blur).
The second song featured more growling guitars, but with the increasing volume of the guitars, the singing deteriorated. I’m not sure if the monitor speaker levels were partially to blame, but during the louder passages the vocals wavered off-key a little too far, which spoilt the song. Next up was a number which reminded me of the Smashing Pumpkins, and this was followed by one which sounded like a cross between the B52s and the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Hard to imagine, but that’s what it sounded like. The set was rounded off by a song that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on a Buzzcocks album.
All in all a very versatile and stylistically wide-ranging set, with an interesting sound and a lot of potential. If they can fix the vocals and tighten up the drumming a little then they’ll definitely go far.
Zoot