It’s generally expected that a band on the make would bend over backwards attempting to contribute to its own buzz, slyly releasing curios and tall tales to the ether in order to strengthen their own mythological standing. Not so with HAUNTS, a somewhat biographically challenged band, making for an uphill struggle for anyone anxious to learn about the roots of these London nouveau-retro-new-romantics. The name ‘Haunts’ particularly does not allow for a smooth Googling experience... But with Kevin Banks on power-vocals and Alex Woodcocks on lead guitar, this band is entirely independent creatively, professing to being more a collective than a band, with output which not only produces the music but the artwork, the style and the (somewhat deficient) marketing.
Having toured with Funeral for a Friend, they’ve established respectable recognition for being a stand out act, bringing together the sentimental sounds of 80s sports-racing rawk and fusion Fugazi-style staccato and erratic beats. It is the Caddy Shack soundtrack as performed by the Psychedelic Furs, produced by Zappa.
The band is underplayed live, and this is by no means indicative of their performance. They humbly play second fiddle to BOY KILL BOY, whom they are supporting tonight at Hoxton Bar & Kitchen; despite excellent execution of their high-energy singles Low Slung City Sky and Live Fast Die Young, released by Another Label Records, as well as others like Black Eyed Girl and Love is Blind, they are to finish their set to a muted response from a crowd wired up for more familiar good-time sounds.
The preparatory DJ set between the two performances verge on a school disco – Nirvana and QoSA, and suchlike guitar heroes to serve as audience warm up. And the audience composite in itself is interesting – skinheads, IT geeks, middle aged uncles – all in one unlikely group of anticipating BKB fans.
BKB is clearly a man’s band – their tunes are hedonistic, repetitive and anthemic. They could not be entirely different from any less fortunate Leytonstone room-above-pub gig playing indie outfit. Their lead singer, Chris Peck, is a man’s man – dressed in a cowboy shirt and sporting newly cropped hair – thereby losing his Noel Fielding look - he’s all testosterone and cockiness, aided by his partner in alpha-maleness, Pete Carr on keyboards. And, at their own testimony, close friends with the gruff Ian McCulloch, it’s all very expected. The songs are not unlike so many other indie bands of recent years. With their catchy repeat ‘oh-oh-oh’ chorus motif in several of their songs, every major radio station’s playlist has by now been lured by BKB, and their publicity has taken the disreputable route of tracks featuring on video games.
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Touring their second album Stars and the Sea, to be released in Feb 2008, the Essex boys make a fashionably late entrance, to a crowd that’s eager to chant along. They go through their “classics” as they refer to them, beginning with enormous stamina and confidence, with the excellent Back Again, Civil Sin, Shoot me Down and Suzie, as well as new singles - No Conversation, dressed up with a vocoder backing robotica effect, a melodic yet tiresome A OK and Paris – their sure-fire Coldplay-strength potential hit. Yet by the time they get to yet more newies Rosie’s on Fire and Promises, the exit door begins to appear seductive.
Looking at both bands, it is unfortunate to reflect on the measure of success each has and is likely to experience. Whilst BKB’s gig feels like a mistaken one night stand, commencing with violent passion which then turns to sober realisation, and finally to a lukewarm friendship, Haunts could be more of a growing fascination. And whilst Haunts offer a sound that is both sentimentally retro and innovatively futuristic, albeit with many comparisons already made to QoSA, it is clear that failing to fall neatly into a recognised category box could prove a hindrance to becoming as unanimously successful a band as BKB, and will possibly prevent equal breaks for that reason.
But BKB’s new album seems like a less than valiant effort to sustain their success, and their sound remains big enough to pull you in, but too big to form a recognised shape within the layers –quantity which obscures the quality.
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