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

Drownedinsound.com
at The Astoria
by Dale Price

OK, give me a moment. I'm trying to work out exactly how to start this... see, it's very rare that you go to a gig and come out feeling completely catalysed into trying to take over the world with a geetarr slung over your shoulder, but seeing the super handsome Dandy Warhols strutting their knowingly cool stuff has done exactly that.

Composure. Right, well, let's start with support act Screaming Orphans. An all-girl, all-sisters, 4-piece pop rock group from Ireland would normally have you screaming "Oi, The Corrs did it first (albeit with that non-descript bloke) you charlatans!" but not so these lasses. Half blonde, half brunette but all rather talented, I was massively surprised. The drummer was also the singer! They actually spoke to the crowd in their giggly, sweet and heavily accented voices! Their tunes were varied, catchy and in some places I was getting that involuntary hip movement thang! They didn't stare at their feet once! They didn't use bodhrans, fiddles or tin whistles!

I didn't catch that many song titles, (although I do remember I loved a number called Thank You - all about how a guy ditching the singer was the best thing that could've happened to her, natch) but they were tight, talented and sweeter than a catering pack of Mars bars in a vat of syrup. Check 'em out, pop-pickers.

After their last number was dedicated to "the Dandy Warhols, who are really cool!" and all that gear rearrangement lark was over, the Guinness Book Of Records' Band With The Most Well Chiselled Cheekbones slithered and slinked on like so many cats. Sticksman Brent De Boer looking even more like Sideshow Bob, Courtney and Peter looking like the well-chiselled male models they could quite easily be (Courtney wearing a scarf and nu-hair), and cute and curvy Zia twiddling her keyboards as soon as she slinks on.

You know how it goes, when you're at gigs the last thing you wanna do is take a mental note of setlists. So um, I didn't. As far as I can tell, they were on stage for well over 90 minutes (although the gig was quite early) opening with Be-In and playing LOADSA the good stuff - Horse Pills, Mohammed, Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth, Good Morning (YEAH BABY!), Get Off, Shakin', Boys Better, I Love You, Country Leaver, Godless, Minnesoter, Hard On For Jesus, Cool As Kim Deal...

At one point, Zia (in between constantly taking off and putting on a jacket donated by someone in the crowd) decide nature was calling so tottered off, leaving Courtney to play with himself. Not literally mind, with backing vocals from Brent he played a nice Brian Jonestown Massacre number. In amongst their stoner soundscapes and rocking, it fit perfectly.

According to my Dandy's obsessive friend, they *never* do encores... but they did, even asking the crowd what they wanted them to play. In fact, crowd participation was something they seemed to do well - possibly due to the many not-quite-cigarettes-ahem being passed from member to member. Courtney adopted plummy British accents here and there, had a chuckle with one girl who cast aside the shackles of clothing (and not a complaint was heard) and generally kept making the sort of cool and funny comments many frontmen hire scriptwriters for... even Zia was chatty (especially when it came to taking the limelight with her treacle sweet Zia's Song).

Trust me, I'm stumbling for words... between wanting to gush and wanting to sit here doing my very best to try and look as cool as the DWs. It was a brilliant night and as much as I love the theatrics and noize of Marilyn Manson, this certainly pips Mr. Warner and his Spooky Kids to the post in terms of gig-going pleasure so far this year.

Anyway, I'm off to get reconstructive surgery on my cheekbones... if you ever get the chance to see the Dandy Warhols, do it my friends, you'll want to be bohemian like them.