thecocknbullkid
Date: 11 March 2009
"...Herald the Nu-Rave-Soul Diva..."
Pete Davies
This was one of those special nights. Not only had Anita Blay aka thecocknbullkid curated a veritable night of her friends and finest, topped off by a blinding performance by herself; but at 9pm, apparently in some secret upstairs backroom at the ICA, she was toasted with champagne as she signed to Island records. This girl is going to be massive and tonight felt a little like history in the making: as understood by the effortlessly hipster, whoreditch nhs glasses American Apparel gold-clad crowd, who were loving the music, knowing she was on the cusp of bigger things.
First up was three-piece Plugs with an instantly funky heavy beat. Guitar, bass and drums and aided by a pulsating drum machine-like backing track. As they blasted through their set their sound deviated from seeming Alex Turner meets OMD to messed up Krautrock, then late 80s Brit soul such as the likes of Hue and Cry or a rocked-out Level 42. The singer announced that for the ICA they were "going to be conceptual" before cranking up the noise and sounding like mid-period Hardcore or the British version of Snuff. By the time they asked if anyone "remembered Normski" they were in non-electronic Ultravox territory. The song dedicated to he who brought rap to the British mainstream and enjoyed an Extreme Celebrity Detox sounded more Adamski with Seal singing Killer. Although enthusiastically eclectic, I couldn't quite work out what they wanted to be. By the last song That Number the highlight of the set, I was imagining the sound of Bloc Party meets Men Without Hats, "You can dance if you want to, you can leave your friends behind".
Florence and the Machine were DJing in the bar in the build up to the next band, Your Twenties. Great haircuts boys, although they are all kind of the same. The five piece from Totnes brought a sense of Indie brit Pop with a pulsating drum beat to their show. There were moments if I closed my eyes I thought, definitely maybe, they were taking us to Aha and The Sun Always Shines On TV. Your twenties are meant to be a good time but their Cranberries cover set the somewhat "downbeat" tone. Perhaps it was me, but they got me thinking of a bland Vampire Weekend without the afro funk or personality and I'm sure the Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand and their downward spiral have a lot to answer for. The Cranberries had warped it for me and I kept feeling in James Sit Down territory, but the crowd seemed to like them.
The DJs were great: Frankmusik continuing the flow from Florence and latterly New Young Pony Club who looked incredible. But the real crowd-pleaser was in the theatre as the crazy girls of Sparklemotion Dancers took the stage. They were funny and they knew it. Quirky, ironic and mental, these pink ladies twirled and gyrated through a couple numbers like a bad taste Pans People for a future era. It got the audience in the right mood as the DJ then spun Nothing Compares To You, the Sinead O'Connor version, as we all got ready for the 'Nu-Rave-Soul Diva' we had all been waiting for.
The crowd were gagging for her, there was love in the air, and thecocknbullkid has a big heart - literally, she revealed a pink neon semi inflatable one on the stage behind her. The moment she stepped on stage everything lifted a notch, she seemed primed and ready and super professional. This was someone who means business and knows what they are doing. Her outfit, with occasionally glowing pink heart, black-attired S&M-looking band and the stunning neon heart looked amazing. But to top it all, she can belt it out. She has a wonderful charm and a stunning voice. The hype that's been building around her and the media portrayal of her feisty street cred deflect from the surprise of her powerful sound. This is contemporary soul, but its fun and you're not expecting it. She has the presence and potential of Chaka Khan meets a rocking Jill Scott meets 80's synth pop. But the twist lies in that being crossed with Kate Bush, and a healthy dose of Siousie Sioux. Its a great sound and there is something of an indie electro Alison Goldfrapp feel about it, but its different to that, it has a personality all of its own. As her set progressed we got a bit of the sound of Eartha Kitt and even I Feel Love Donna Summer. Her single I'm Not Sorry said it all. She has nothing to apologise for, her sound is fresh, new and fun, and she is the real deal. It was a pleasure to witness this gig at this moment in her career, and you can see she could have a much broader appeal, but I just hope she hangs on to her personality and the people at Island Records don't turn her mediocre for the masses.
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