Trans Europe Express

I've been to a fair amount of shows in my day. I've seen everyone from Morbid Angel to Tex Beneke and then some. I have a simple philosophy when it comes to seeing bands live...Entertain me. That's it. Do something to make it worth my while. So many bands just have no stage presence at all. They just stand their and strum their guitars and to be honest that's frickin boring. Jump, move, dance, trash the stage, do something so that I'm not forced to stand and wonder if the building is structurally sound.

Britain's Art Brut and Germany's Robocop Kraus are two bands that definitely do not fit into that category. These guys are entertainers. They know how to work the crowd and they not only have killer songs, but they have a killer stage presence as well. They have energy and the crowd feeds off of that and everyone starts to get hyper with them. These guys could win over any crowd put before them, even Joe Abercrombie Fitch dude.

They did just that, this past week in Orlando. I'm sure a vast majority of people in attendance had no idea who either band were, but by the end of the night either band couldn't move around the Social w/o starting a conversation with new and old fans alike.

Eddie Argos is truly Jarvis Cocker w/a mustache and Thomas Lang is the best dancer ever. Eddie yelling Robocop Kraus...Top of the Pops as a tribute, then interrupting Good Weekend to update us on the girl from the song was priceless. Thomas from RK saying that some song is the best song you'll ever hear before he played it in front of Art Brut was hilarious. The bands blew the roof off of the Social. They were funny, had fun, and entertained us. They were amazing and this will go down as one of the best shows of 2006.

Since I can't provide you with a slice of both bands live performances here are a bunch of tracks from both bands...Oh and by the way...I met Eddie Argos...TWICE!

Legendary Germans...Robocop Kraus...
From Living With Other People...
Fashion

From They Think They Are The Robocop Kraus...
After Laughter Comes Tears
You Don't Have To Shout

Literary Geniuses...Art Brut...
from the Modern Art single...
These Animal Menswe@r

from the Good Weekend single...
Really Bad Weekend

from Bang Bang Rock & Roll...
Modern Art
Moving to LA

Until next time...
Who Needs Radio...Top of the Pops!!!

Paul the Anglophile