London, England, U.K. - March 24, 2001

Dotmusic.com
at the Astoria
by Robert Collins

No doubt, The Dandy Warhols are the coolest band in world. At least, no band has ever had better haircuts. From the very beginning, the three-guitar onslaught of 'Be In' and the blissed-out look on singer Courtney Taylor's face mean this is no normal gig.

The pre-performance pharmaceutical intake may have been excessive but it's not long before their patented spaced out sound is behind them and the Astoria's dancing to 'Bohemian Like You' like it'll never hear it again.

Sure, it's easy to dismiss The Dandy Warhols as permanently stoned rock wannabes, especially with Zia McCabe's ever-present spliff and Taylor's mumbled witticisms, but seeing McCabe squeezing the very energy from her battered Korg during 'Green' it's clear that they're really a finely-honed pop machine.

So the entire band's on-stage movement would make Noel Gallagher's seem excessive, but when Courtney's radiating cool and Zia's banging her tambourine on her hip it seems crazy that every gig isn't this perfect.

Of course, every other band doesn't have songs like 'I Love You', 'Minnesoter' and 'Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth', the last of which prompts an outbreak of bouncing that starts the floor vibrating uneasily. Once the party's started there's no stopping it. 'Horse Pills' is a revelation, 'Hard On For Jesus' sees the pit reach critical mass and an astonishing 'Boys Better' sends the whole place into orbit.

Even when Zia has to make a two-minute exit for a mid-gig pee it doesn't slow the Warhols down. Bouncing back with 'Get Off', a lost party classic if ever there was one, closing with the pedal steel soloing of 'Country Leaver', performed before projections from Easy Rider, is a masterstroke. Three chords, a melody of pure pop and a sound to cherish forever: the Dandy Warhols summed up to perfection.

There's no way they'd escape without an encore and in six staggering minutes 'Cool As Kim Deal' and an awesome rendition of the Stones' 'The Last Time' wring the last drops of passion from the newly converted devotees. When Courtney croons "I rather be cool than smart," he's joking, of course. Only a genius can be this cool.