APPLICANTS – Old Blue Last, London (cool for cats records night) 22/5/07 (gig review)

Through fake blood splatter and self-started mosh pits, London three-piece crazoids Applicants put on a breathtaking performance.

With a bizarre set-up of a guitarist on either side of the stage, both providing vocals, and the dynamo Jeffery James based, all be it occasionally, in the middle taking charge of a table adorned with a peddle board for effects and playing samples. When not administering the noises, she was yelping into one of the two mics, dancing on the floor in front of the stage or starting play fights and mosh pits with random members of the front row.

A performance overloaded with energy, enthusiasm, enjoyment and it was just brilliant to watch – so much so that it occasionally failed to register just how good the songs are! Quirky and perfectly chosen samples opened and closed most tunes. A great groove and some great riffs, courtesy of Fidel Villeneuve’s gorgeously vintage sounding Burns guitar. Funky bass lines and drums accompanying the various effects from the mysterious centre stage table.

A band with as much sense of humour as their songs, like ‘Crappuccino’ and harmonious hails of “love you pizza” (surely someone’s going to ask them if they can use that in an advert) and the infectious head banger ‘Hit a Pan’.

Suffice to say the crowd went suitable mental for them come the end of the set and rightly so! They went on to spend the rest of the night getting pissed by drinking beer through extra-long home made straws – what a fucking great band!

By Martin Kendrick

www.myspace.com/applicants