- https:/sites/default/files/Free%20The%20Pterodactyl%203_1.mp3
"It's a bit of a mouthfull isn't it?" Says Paul Rafferty, bassist and singer of Hot Club de Paris talking about the title of their latest EP The Rise and Fall of the High School Suicide Cluster Band.
"It's like the largest thing in the world!" He continues.
"Its like the Great Willy of China!" chips in Matt the guitarist, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
Hot Club de Paris are playing Moho Live in Manchester tonight in promotion of their latest EP, and second for this year, the aforementioned The Rise and Fall of the High School Suicide Cluster Band, which is indeed a mouthfull! The title is surpassed only by the name of their previous EP, With Days Like This as Cheap as Chewing Gum, Why Would Anyone Want to Work?
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Hot Club are signed to legendary independant label Moshi Moshi Records who have helped to launch acts such as Florence and the Machine, Bloc Party and Hot Chip. The Rise and Fall…. has been given the honour of being Moshi Moshi's 100th release "Moshi100" and Hot Club de Paris are clearly enjoying playing and touring with it.
Starting with the high velocity "Shipwreck", full of bouncing energy to an appreciative and enthusiastic but muted room that was only a quarter full. Where was everyone? Why aren't Hot Club getting recogonition? Is it because they are Scousers in a Manchester venue? – That can't be it? With songs like "Fuck You the Truth" they can be described a scouse version of "The Twang" and more than equal to fellow Liverpudilians "The Wombats". If those guys can do it why not HCDP?
Three tracks in and things start to go wrong in Matt's area of the stage. It's not immediately clear that something is amiss but then Matt stops looks frustratingly at his amp and then stops playing. He turns to the microphone "theres something wrong with the power on stage," he says to the sound dude as if its a private conversation, "it's fucking with my valve amp!"
A man comes onto the stage to play with the power whilst Paul turns to the crowd, "so have you got any questions guys?" He asks smiling. Seconds later everything seems sorted and Hot Club are back on it – "We'll just pick up from where we left off guys" and so they do! The issues persist prompting Matt to kneel next to and on top of the amp whilst playing, much to his brother and Hot Clubs drummer Alasdairs amusement!
Problems aside, Hot Club still have it going on with favourites such as "Little Haunting" from their second album "Live at Dead Lake" keeping the crowd on side. Unfortunately during this song, the ace lead single "Free the Pterodactyl 3" from the latest EP, things take a turn for the worse prompting Matt to swap amplifier and leads. This seems to sort out all of the guitar problems apart from the volume being cranked up to "11" and Pterodactyl finishes with a lot of extra bite.
After turning down the geetar HDCP close it out with class playing out tunes such as "Biggie Smalls and the Ghetto Slams" which features the "The Rise and Fall of the High School Suicide Cluster Band" as the main lyric! Quality!
K*
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