Boy Kill Boy
Live Review: Boy Kill Boy
Bloomsbury Ballroom, London
Thursday April 10th 2008
by Lex Lennon
It was in elaborate settings that Boy Kill Boy played their London homecoming show. The 17th century Bloomsbury Ballroom was bathed in decadence and the anticipation had grown to boiling point when the Essex lads finally took to the stage, a standard 30 rock'n'roll minutes late.
Their second album Stars And The Sea was released at the end of March and this show marked the end of a hefty touring schedule.
'I recognise half the room,' grins frontman Chris Peck to a sea of friends, family and hardened fans. With eyes wide and a smile stretched from one fire exit to the other he was visibly enjoying every second of being on stage.
Nitro-fuelled guitar riffs and strong, emotional vocals filled every song. Each member of the audience must have felt a strong connection to the turmoil the band was going through when they wrote these songs. They had spent a long time in a remote studio in Cornwall and by the end of their Withnail & I existence they admit they were 'ready to kill'. But amid all this negativity surrounding the relationships within the band, Peck proudly declares, 'We're getting along better than ever!' This came across in their performance too - a well-drilled hit machine that didn't look like anything was going to stop them, not least the looming curfew.
Their new material is more sinister, as if they have become disillusioned with the industry and are sticking two fingers up at the critics. They say themselves that Radio 1 and NME have spurned them, and I have to agree that if these voices of demand were to get behind them then they would certainly be a lot bigger.
From new single Promises - a Hoosiers-style groove but with a lot more maturity - to their first single Suzie - a dance floor filler I defy you not to enjoy - the set is a tornado of energy. Drummer Shaz and bassist Kev provide a faultless powerhouse of rhythm whilst keyboards and a second guitarist (a friend who joined them for the tour) filled them out to create their wall of well-crafted sound.
Legend has it that the name comes from a mishearing of another band's name, Boy Called Roy, but Boy Kill Boy as a name is deceiving. With the recent proliferation of guitar bands whose average age is 15 1/2, it's great to watch a band more 'man' than 'boy'. With a hoarse and wisened voice that belies his age, Peck on vocals and guitar is from a diminishing breed of performers; frontmen who have proper talent.
The Libertines obviously achieved massive success, but putting aside their ability to write a catchy tune and make leather jackets fashionable again, they unforgivably made it acceptable for bad guitarists to be in bands. They spawned a generation of bands who thought it was okay to be bedroom-standard in front of a paying audience. Peck, on the other hand, plays intricate guitar parts and complicated rhythms whilst singing. Strangely enough there is something Doherty-esque about him with his height and trilby hat, but fortunately that's where the similarities end.
Chatting to various gig-goers on the way out, one thing was evident. Their crowd is a friendly and well-educated bunch, the type of music fans that give hope to bands with musical ability and integrity.
If you're ever in town on the same night as Boy Kill Boy, see them live. They'll remind you what it's really all about.
For more details about Boy Kill Boy, including any forthcoming UK tour dates, see their page here on Ents24.
