Four on the Floor

Despite having been knocking round San Francisco, more or less, for over a year I'd yet to go see a show at the legendary Fillmore yet this week I've been to see two.

The spiritual home in San Francisco of the Psychedelic and Punk movements it maintains a couple of quirky traditions - namely that there's a bowl of free apples by the door, a uniformed Greeter who "welcomes you to the Fillmore" and on exiting certain shows you get a free copy of the one off promotional poster for the show.

Inside the walls are lined with copies of the posters and hundreds of photos of acts on stage. The main area looks more like a ballroom with large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Talking to the security guard the balconies that ring the upper level are (privately?) owned by different people - I'm kind of intrigued what the deal is with them.

The acoustics are really very good although I kind of wish it had the Brixton Academy's slightly sloping floor. I was also really impressed by how fast people are able to leave - much quicker than the Empire, the Astoria or either of the Academies in Brixton or Islington.

So, the shows. First up

The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players + Kate Nash

The family did a quirky set with lyrics made up to accompany sets of slides they'd bought from lawn sales. It was enjoyable in an amusing kind of way - nothing I rush out to go buy the album for - but part of me kept wondering about the people in the various slides.

Funny thing about Kate Nash - when I was moving from the UK I found an old bunch of stuff including a flyer from tiny gig I went to above a pub in Camden about 3 years ago with someone whose on and off again boyfriend was playing a set. Really small gig - no more than 20 people. I'd really enjoyed the last act who'd been this solo girl with a keyboard finding the flyer again I was slightly surprised to find that it was Kate Nash.

Including that time this was the 3rd time I've seen her. This time the set felt quite rushed - she galloped through the opening  Pumpkin Soup at double speed which is a kind of a shame because I really like the track - still entertaining but even Foundations felt a little hurried. It didn't help that everyone in the band apart from the drummer looked monged off their tits (although kudos to the lead guitarist for some deft instrument swapping). Stand out track was Nicest Thing - including that most British of lines "I wish that you knew that when I asked for two sugars I actually meant three".

Paul Nathan + Vermillion Lies + The Dresden Dolls

I was really psyched for this show - the times I've seen the Dolls before have been some of the best live gigs I've ever been too (perhaps the best if you count the gig at the Roundhouse last year). 

As a warm up compère Paul Nathan was pretty hard to beat. His magic tricks were good if not mind blowing but his patter was superb and his back and forth with the audience was incredibly engaging.

I'd never heard of the Vermillion Lies before but they were absolutely 'kin brilliant. Two sisters doing quirky vaudeville-cum-folk with a jet black streak of humour running through it and using everything from a typewriter to bells to a barbeque grill as instruments. I've tried to find some representative clips on the 'Tube but nothing seems to quite to convey quite how infectious it all was, even the clip of filthily catchy "Astronomer's Song" or they're much cuter in real life.

So, onto the Dolls.

Maybe I was over excited (it happens - try dosing me up on stuff laced with Tartrazine and watch me completely ADHD out), maybe I was tired (getting up at 5:45 am to go babysit an 18 month year old during Bay to Breakers will do that to you), maybe it was the time (a set that doesn't start until 10pm on a Sunday night, really?), maybe it's because we were standing at the back, maybe they're getting back into their stride after a break from touring or maybe it was the preponderance of new material (always a risky thing with a band, especially one with a cult following who dress up like you to come to your gigs and who know all the words) but ... how do I put this? It wasn't the best show of theirs I've been to.

Don't get me wrong - it was by no means bad. In fact it was actually pretty good especially since some of the crowd pleasers like "Shores of California", "Backstabber" and "Jeep Song" didn't get played. We still got "Girl Anachronism" and "Coin Operated Boy"  obviously, a raucous cover of "Fight for your Right to Party" (including East Bay Ray from the Dead Kennedys OMGWTFBBQ11!!!111) , a roaming torch song (which, for the life of me I can't remember the name of) and "War Pigs" as an encore.

So, in conclusion, I'd still recommend that if you get the chance to go see the Dolls play then you should because really they're pretty fucking awesome. And I'm thrilled to have found out about the Vermillion Lies especially since they're Bay Area natives.

Hmm, I appear to have reached the end without having a conclusion.