Tonight we’re going to party like it’s 2007.
There are few bands whose tale was as closely entwined with our own as Subliminal Girls in the latter part of the previous decade. Made up of members from a host of our favourite bands of our formative years: Rhesus, Ciccone, The Video Club and more, they were a shimmering, synth-washed irritant to the established indie scene of the time; pointy-shoed arch-pranksters who called for the incineration of hipster nightspots and, in collaboration with artist Stuart Semple, released the most expensive single of all time (the ltd edition vinyl boxset of ‘Self-Obsession Is an Artform’ – yours for a bargain £1200).
It all, perhaps inevitably, fizzled out as the scene moved on and the targets of their lyrical ire became redundant, and they split in 2009. Despite the occasional one-off reunion (I think I must have been to at least three ‘last Sub Girls shows ever’) it appeared as if that was that, until last month when a string of hilarious photos of the band being summoned from their various exotic locations for a mysterious reunion meeting appeared on their Facebook page.
Tonight we see the fruits of that reunion for the first time, as a set of old favourites – sparkling indie romance ‘Electronic Hearts’, the anthemic swell of ‘What You Want’ and hipster-slaying ‘Self-Obsession Is an Artform’ are joined by three new songs, with the promise of an EP before the year is up.
Any fears of ring-rust or of the material sounding dated are quickly dispersed and the new tracks do more than enough to keep pace too, and while the appearance of guest MC Foxy for a set closing ‘Burn Koko’ may be a welcome blast from the past, there are plenty of signs tonight to suggest that Subliminal Girls have more to offer than simple nostalgic reverie.
Review and Photography by Paul Maps
facebook.com/subliminalgirls
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