Following a sold-out show at the Scala the previous night, The Whitest Boy Alive were in the mood to party at Cargo this weekend. If you’re not familiar with the band (shame on you!) then imagine a cross between the German 1986 World Cup squad crossed with an American Apparel ad with moustaches and mullets abound, trying, Erlend Oye so expertly put it to “give you the longest delayed gratification of any rock band playing house music”.
After an excellent set by countrymen The New Wine (known as Det Nye Vin in Norwegian, fact finders!), who sounded just as you would want them to- like a crisp New World variety- the Whitest Boy Alive plunged right into the first song, and, strangely for an area of London where the crowds are so often surly, the sell-out crowd were in love from the first note. The band could have played the theme from Sesame Street and the crowd would still would have been in love.
Sadly, though there was no Sesame Street rendition. The set actually consisted of songs from both the band’s debut album 'Dreams' and their new one 'Rules', and conjured up an irresistible party mood that couldn’t fail to infect anyone present. Right from the first song, Erlend Oye had the audience singing the lyrics for him, whilst bouncing around the stage as if it were his wedding night, and didn’t stop all night. By the second song, a fight broke out in the audience much to the band’s amusement. Once resolved, however, the band picked up from where they left, and the bouncing, grinning, groovy hand moves started up again...
An excellent rendition of 'Timebomb', and covers of Daft Punk’s 'One More Time', and Robin S's early 1990's monster hit 'Show Me Love' provided high points, the latter of which could have come from MTV’s (now defunct) European Top 20 circa 1992. Special mention has to go to Courage, where moustachioed keyboard player Daniel Nentwig demonstrated his excellent finger skills building the housey number into a footstomper of the highest pedigree.
The crowd sweaty, hot and satisfied, the show was closed with an excellent collaboration with the New Wine after an hour and a half of faultless fun, sweat and love. It’s hard to see what Superstar DJ, sometime Royksopp cohort (another fact for you here: it means Smoke Mushroom..) former acoustic god with Kings of Convenience and geek it’s OK to fancy Erlend Oye could ever do wrong. In Summary then? The New Wine and The Whitest Boy Alive. You might not been able to have get near the bar at Cargo, but the show sure left you punch drunk...
By Alison Majors and Nick Levine
