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Electric Six

Venue: O2 Academy
Town: Bournemouth
Date: 9th December
Website: www.electricsix.com

Any band who kicks off their night with a song titled 'French Bacon' is either going to be an all-out disaster or, as Bournemouth's O2 Academy discovered tonight, a total blinder. Is it rock? Is it disco? Is it dance? Yes, yes and yes people, it's Electric Six.

If you thought the Detroit boys were a novelty act from the dark days of the early noughties then check again. You can't go wrong with a bit of 'Danger! High Voltage!' and 'Gay Bar' granted (obvious future classics) but the good news for any bystanders out there is that they've moved their musical styles on to a more grown up place. Even if their playlist declares it's Frog Bacon up first. Second track of the night, 'After Hours' was shouty and punchy enough to make the perfect match to Valentine's mini declaration that 'austerity has to go - write to your MP'.

It's a proper rock out this track and while Valentine is having a ball the rest of Electric Six are the perfectly oiled cogs in the music machine just making everything tick soundly around him. 'Improper Dancing' is again rocky but undeniably the sound of the Six. Taking on a mash up with Christmas classic 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch' just, well, worked. I said more grown up, but only to a point. Who would have thought one room would hold Grinch-tune fans? And a sign off of 'Merry Christmas, bitches' just endeared us to them more.

'Hello! I See You' goes down a less obvious route but there's nothing wrong with that and it's probably this track that sees Electric Six drifting toward a more mainstream habitat. Sounding a little like The Darkness, Valentine hollered out to the murky corners of the room, took your hand and threw you back into the light. 'Gay Bar' got the airing it fully deserved toward the end of their set with a second dose of 'Gay Bar, Pt. Two' just in case you missed it the first time around.

There's a serious amount of musical attitude going on with these guys and Dick Valentine's super charged energy is what will win him the prize for showman pizzazz of 2011. Finishing up with 'Rubberband Man' and 'Dance Commander' it was crystal clear that crossing the pond to little old Boscombe was well worth their efforts and more than worth our Friday nights. Electric Six are a proper band. Fact.

Emma Sutherland
http://emmasutherland.posterous.com