THE DARTS + JOANNA & THE DROPOUTS + THEE DERELIQUE – THE PRINCE ALBERT, BRIGHTON 2.10.24
Right then, let’s get the confusion out of the way from the very start. Tonight’s headliners are called The Darts but they are NOT the London based nine-piece British doo-wop revival band that achieved chart success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with a number of UK top 20 hits (including three successive No.2’s) with revivals of early US rock and roll, R&B and original songs. These Darts are a garage-punk-rock quartet of grrls from Phoenix, Arizona who will make your head slam and your feet shake. And then there’s the music. Hence their billing at “The Darts (US)”. This outfit consists of founder members Nicole Laurenne (Farfisa organ and lead vocals) Christina Nunez (Gibson bass and vocals), Louise Sordoillet (who is subbing for Meliza Jackson on this tour on Fender guitar and vocals), plus drummer Mary Rose (“Beef”) Gonzales.
The Darts opened up their recording account back in 2016 with their 10” 6-tune ‘EP1’ release, which three months later was joined by ‘EP2’ in the same format. Their debut long player ‘Me.Ow.’ dropped six months later and their self-titled album two followed in July 2018. No.3 ‘I Like You But Not Like That’ came out in 2019 and their post covid ‘Snake Oil’ album on Jello Biafra’s Alternative Tentacle Records hit the shops in time for Christmas 2022. Their latest album is ‘Boomerang’ which came out on 26th April. All of these records feature their quartet’s distinctive Farfisa organ-oriented garage rock formula coupled with a punk attitude.
Although they sound great on vinyl, I was reliably informed that it was The Darts live shows where they truly excelled, and so under this recommendation I find myself camped at the front of The Prince Albert this evening to see what they and their support artists have to offer!
The Darts reward us with an 18 song set which lasts 51 minutes from 9:45pm to 10:36pm. The house lights are off and there’s a buzz of anticipation in the air! Clearly a number of tonight’s punters have either seen them before or know what to expect. One young lady doesn’t though, and during the set Nicole announces that it’s the teenagers first ever gig! Not a bad way to start I say! The girls take to the stage as the taped ‘Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565’ booms across the speakers. The venue is packed and Nicole says they have come across from Europe and that this is the first date of their UK tour. Christina is to our left (stage right), Nicole is centre front with the drummer behind her and stage left (our right) is Louise who we are told is actually French.
From the very start, the gig gets wild, as during the surf psych sounding opener ‘Underground’ from 2022’s ‘Snake Oil’ album, sees Nicole pull her sideways facing Farfisa organ on top of herself as she carries on playing and Christina and Louise team up just above Nicole. It’s a photographer’s dream and thankfully we’ve got Cris Watkins on the case this evening to capture all of the action. For tune two, ‘My Heart Is A Graveyard’ from 2018’s ‘The Darts’ album, we get more of the same sound and action. They are already going down a storm as the person that puts on The Prince Albert gigs is very happy with himself. In fact, at the conclusion of the set, he joyfully informed me that it had been one of the very best gigs he has EVER seen here! I think we know which way this review is going then!
‘Spy Girl’ also from ‘Snake Oil’ was up next and it really had the feel of a 1960’s US spy drama theme tune, lovin’ the Farifa work here! We are informed that ‘Welcome To My Doldrums’ (from the new album) is “about being deliciously lonely each day”. It’s a tight tune that yet again offers up more rockin’ surf psych sounds. There’s another energetic delivery on ‘Strange Days’ which is found on their 2017 debut ‘Me.Ow.’ album, as Nicole lounges around whilst laying on the stage. ‘Under The Gun’ is next and is another 60s sounding tune which swung along nicely. The Keyboard had up until now been side facing us, but now is moved and is facing us. The poor old organ does get some serious abuse during the whole set, once with the top plate falling off, but hey it’s rock’n’roll isn’t it. It can be fixed with a few screws.
We were told that the next number, ‘Pink Slip’ (the second in a row from 2022’s ‘Snake Oil’ album) was written by Nicole about all of the boyfriends she has fired! It’s a slow chugging number with a beat sounding very much like early Tubeway Army material, and so is different from their other songs, and a set highlight for me. Surf-psych normality is resumed with the arrival of ‘Carry Me Home’ which is found on 2018’s ‘The Darts’ album. ‘Your Show’ from the latest release we are told is “dedicated to anyone who has ever dated a musician, as it doesn’t work!”. It’s another tune with a slower chugging beat with a 60’s spy guitar sound.
After this Nicole tells us that the next tune,‘Get Spooky’ is unreleased and that they wrote it in the van on tour and then found a studio in Lyon in France and recorded it there. It’s ideal for a Halloween release methinks! Then it’s the turn of another tune from the latest platter, this being ‘Pour Another’ which we are told is “about the most important person at a venue…the bartender!”. Nicole came into the crowd during this track, but didn’t order anything from the bar at the rear of the room! Jello Biafra (of Dead Kennedys fame) gets a namecheck before the next song, ‘Bring It Back’ from ‘Snake Oil’, as we are told that he was their producer on the album and that he appears on the record. This track is a slow song which sounded like a heavy Toyah meets 60s psychedelia and again is different from all their other songs and I liked it!
The fast tunes were restored with the arrival of ‘Breakup Makeup’, which you can find on ‘I Like You But Not Like That’ album from 5 years ago. Nicole actually sat atop the Farfisa during this, which was a cue for fans to grab a shot on their phones. There was a slow rumbly bass intro and gravelly vocal delivery on ‘Hell Yeah’ and after which Nicole dedicated the set closing number ‘Intersex’ to everyone in the LGBTQ community. Christina vacates the stage during this track and gets up close and personal with The Darts fans as she plays her bass. The band vacate the stage and briefly head back to the close-by dressing room, but they aren’t gone for long as the punters cry for more. We are rewarded with a trio of tracks, the first of which Nicole tells us is about surfing although she can’t actually surf herself, its title being ‘Love Tsunami’. Their penultimate choice was ‘Shit Show’ which has a slower beat than its predecessor and I note the Farfisa keys remind me of the early Modern Lovers material. They bid us farewell with ‘Liar’ (from ‘Boomerang’) which has a schoolyard style chant . It’s been an impressive energy fuelled set, where the players (especially Nicole) run on Duracell batteries! Suffice to say, that they went down splendidly well.
The Darts:
Nicole Laurenne – vocals, organ
Christina Nunez – bass, vocals
Meliza Jackson – guitars, vocals
Mary Rose (“Beef”) Gonzales – drums
The Darts setlist:
(Intro tape: ‘Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565’)
‘Underground’ (from 2022 ‘Snake Oil’ album)
‘My Heart Is A Graveyard’ (from 2018 ‘The Darts’ album)
‘Spy Girl’ (from 2022 ‘Snake Oil’ album)
‘Welcome To My Doldrums’ (from 2024 ‘Boomerang’ album)
‘Strange Days’ (from 2017 ‘Me.Ow.’ album)
‘Under The Gun’ (from 2022 ‘Snake Oil’ album)
‘Pink Slip’ (from 2022 ‘Snake Oil’ album)
‘Carry Me Home’ (from 2018 ‘The Darts’ album)
‘Your Show’ (from 2024 ‘Boomerang’ album)
‘Get Spooky’ (unreleased)
‘Pour Another’ (from 2024 ‘Boomerang’ album)
‘Bring It Back’ (from 2022 ‘Snake Oil’ album)
‘Breakup Makeup’ (from 2019 ‘I Like You But Not Like That’ album)
‘Hell Yeah’ (from 2024 ‘Boomerang’ album)
‘Intersex’ (from 2022 ‘Snake Oil’ album)
(encore)
‘Love Tsunami’ (from 2022 ‘Snake Oil’ album)
‘Shit Show’ (from 2022 ‘Snake Oil’ album)
‘Liar’ (from 2024 ‘Boomerang’ album)
(Outro tape: ‘Tutto Va Bene’ by Bazbaz)
According to their Bandcamp page Joanna & The Dropouts “burst onto the scene in 2019, infusing their music with infectious riffs and surf-tinged guitar sounds. For fans of The Cramps, The B52’s, and John Waters films, this Brighton and London-based band offers a harmonious blend of catchy tunes. The group has made waves with their single ‘You’re So Cool’, featured on the Loud Women 2022 compilation album”. They also say that they offer “Catchy rock songs wrapped in a leopard print bow!”.
It’s been two years since I last saw the band up close and personal. I last caught them supporting Gen And The Degenerates up at the Green Door Store on 7th October 2022 and since that gig, the only update in personnel is a change of drummer from Antony Overman to Cheryl Marie Chitty, who is noted for her striking blue hair and beaming smile. The remaining trio are band founder member Joanna Jacobs (now Joanna Jacobs Trevena) on vocals and Fender guitar, along with Ross Trevena (Ibanez bass, backing vocals) and Charlotte Pelham (Yamaha Reface YC keys, backing vocals).
Since the aforementioned ‘You’re So Cool’ single, which came out in November 2022 and was their ninth single, they have since released their ‘Sold Your Soul’ single back in February, which was ahead of their self-titled 4-track EP which followed in April and so after a quiet 2023 Joanna and her chums are back on the case.
Tonight we are rewarded 11 cuts across their half hour set which ran from 8:53pm to 9:23pm. There’s quite a large audience of differing ages and styles in tonight which is encouraging and Joanna and her bandmates kick off with 2019 single ‘George, Baby!’ which is a short instrumental. ‘Bad News’ (a 2021 single) is up next and features crystal clear vocals and some decent rumbly bass guitar action, as does following number ‘Mr Honey Pot’ which is their oldest track tonight and is found on their 2018 ‘Leopard Spots & Polkadots’ EP. 2019 single ‘Bad At Being Good’ is the best tune so far for me and features a catchy keys riff atop this swinging surf rock sounding track.
The first of three as yet recorded numbers (as far as I can tell) comes next, this being ‘Everybody Goin’ Down’, after which we get newbie ‘Moving Forwards’. There’s a hint of glam rock guitar to these and a catchy “na na na” chorus on the latter. I rather enjoyed 2022 single ‘You’re So Cool’ as it sounded just like the earliest Blondie recordings, like ‘Detroit 442’, it also features some decent cowbell action. ‘Sold Your Soul’ from the latest EP is next and this has a straightforward rockin’ surfing meets rockabilly beat. Its “Shake your hands with the devil” line is delivered in a retro American style sassy way, and this is the best received tune by the audience thus far, which of course is encouraging as it’s new.
We are informed that the quartet are going to be playing a brand new tune which is going to get its first ever live outing, this turns out to be called ‘Miss Frankenstein’ and it’s a decent bopping number. Their penultimate selection is titled ‘Sticks And Stones’ and this kicks off with a glam rock meets blues guitar and drum combo sound. Part way through, Ross suddenly produces a kazoo which was hanging inside his leopard patterned shirt and gives it a few blows. I don’t know what it is about this buzzing vocal changing instrument, but it always makes me laugh. I couldn’t have ever imagined the Ramones or Motörhead having ever used it. Joanna & The Dropouts sign off with their 2020 ‘Sick In Love’ single which has a 60s/70s vibe going on and I especially liked its drums and bass intro part. They went down very well with the punters.
Joanna & The Dropouts:
Joanna Jacobs Trevena – vocals, guitar
Ross Trevena – bass, backing vocals
Charlotte Pelham – keys, backing vocals
Cheryl Marie Chitty – drums
Joanna & The Dropouts setlist:
‘George, Baby!’ (a 2019 single)
‘Bad News’ (a 2021 single)
‘Mr Honey Pot’ (from 2018 ‘Leopard Spots & Polkadots’ EP)
‘Bad At Being Good’ (a 2019 single)
‘Everybody Goin’ Down’ (unreleased)
‘Moving Forwards’ (from 2024 ‘Joanna & The Dropouts’ EP)
‘You’re So Cool’ (a 2022 single)
‘Sold Your Soul’ (from 2024 ‘Joanna & The Dropouts’ EP)
‘Miss Frankenstein’ (unreleased)
‘Sticks And Stones’ (unreleased)
‘Sick In Love’ (a 2020 single)
The evening began with a set from Thee Derelique, who are a five-piece featuring former members of bands from the Brighton scene of a few years back, namely Channel D, Lolita Storm, The FKB, and Coast To Coast. This evening’s lineup features Spex (vocals), Jim (Italian Eko guitar/vocals), Andy (Nord Electro keys/vocals), Ian who is seated (bass) and pork pie hat connoisseur Will (drums). On 28th August 2023 they dropped their three track ‘Don’t Make Any Noise’ EP, which comes in at a running time at a smidge under eighth and a half minutes. These tunes being ‘Feeling Inside’, ‘Happy Now’ and ‘See The Light’ – check them out HERE.
I suspect that the members of Thee Derelique were rather chuffed considering how busy the venue was. Here is an outfit that blends lively 1960s garage-punk feel with a decent dose of new wave, whilst having tremendous fun delivering it to us, especially vocalist Spex who is looking resplendent in her striking red hair, matching red lipstick, golden sparkly top and raised Dr. Martens.
Their all too brief 22 minute set runs from 8:11pm to 8:33pm and consists of a mere 7 tracks, as they had to drop mid set number ‘Happy Now’, (which is from their ‘Don’t Make Any Noise’ EP), due to their late start. They should have kicked off at 8pm. First up is ‘Summertime’ with its swinging retro sounding rockin’ sound and catchy “In the city” chorus. Spex is already rather perky and bouncing along to the DIY style tunes. They fly into ‘Conspiracy’ which offers more of the same along with a late 1970s style shouty English sounding vocal delivery. In fact their whole sound could be from 1978 including the Nord which is sounding like an organ instead of a synth, and that suits me. The whole set could easily have been found on a long lost Attix Records album.
Selection three is the shortish ‘Feeling Inside’ with its “Don’t let go” catchy chorus. This one’s found on their ‘Don’t Make Any Noise’ EP. ‘Happy Now’ gets ditched and so they go onto ‘Doorbell’, this is where Lene Lovich meets Poly Styrene with its two chord groove with a busy bass line, a “la-la” chorus and some impressive rolls around the kit.
‘See The Light’ from the EP is served next with its repeated “baa baa baa baa” intro lyrics and the following beat reminded me somewhat of The Jam. Their penultimate song is ‘Annabel’ which has a quirky pop quality, it’s intro reminds me of The Velvet Underground’s ‘Femme Fatale’ and the pumping riff and organ swell remind me of Elvis Costello’s band The Attractions. It’s the slowest number of their set until half way through when it doubles its pace, and I have to say it was my choice cut from their set. They sign off with ‘Action’, which is driven along by an urgent beat and staccato guitar stabs and “Do you know what I mean” lyrics. This has an X-Ray Spex vibe, but without the sax and I rather like the keys again. Thee Derelique sets are interesting to me, as Spex alone with her vocals reminds me exactly of how bands used to sound when I was seventeen.
Thee Derelique:
Spex – vocals
Jim – guitar, vocals
Andy – keyboards, vocals
Ian – bass
Will – drums
Thee Derelique setlist:
‘Summertime’ (unreleased)
‘Conspiracy’ (unreleased)
‘Feeling Inside’ (from 2023 ‘Don’t Make Any Noise’ EP)
‘Doorbell’ (unreleased)
‘See The Light’ (from 2023 ‘Don’t Make Any Noise’ EP)
‘Annabel’ (unreleased)
‘Action’ (unreleased)
More on Thee Derelique HERE.
