Carlisle was shocked by a positive charge of electricity as one of America’s most exciting bands came to visit.
Opening for the boys was English solo artist Vanity Fairy, who arrived on stage bedazzled and fabulously dressed, singing original and new songs that had a vintage, 80s feel.
She didn’t sound an awful lot like Electric Six but her campy, disco, and dreamy image set the tone well.
Such songs like ‘Top of The Pops’ wouldn’t be too unlikely to hear on a greatest hits album from Cyndi Lauper, and vocally there were hints of Bjork, Kate Bush, and Neneh Cherry, with some musical stylings of Goldfrapp’s vibe.
Electric Six, best known for their 2003 hits Danger (High Voltage) and Gay Bar, performed at Carlisle’s Old Fire Station on Sunday, June 30.
Hailing from Detroit, the band has consisted of various members, with the only constant being frontman Dick Valentine who is still rocking hard 21 years after their debut album Fire.
Now touring with their 2023 album Turquoise, which Valentine repeatedly and unashamedly told the audience they’re ‘desperately trying to sell’, they bring songs which I, and I suspect many others, haven’t heard before.
Before attending I wouldn’t class myself as an ‘Electric Six fan’ given that I only know their two aforementioned hits, which I enjoy, but walking out I found myself having several of their other songs stuck in my head, remaining there to this day.
Even not knowing their music you will still be amazed by the sheer ferocity of the band members’ energy and stage presence, often dancing and flamboyantly strumming their instruments, and each song punctuated by small moments of comedic remarks in between.
“This is song number six,” Valentine said before the band rocked into their mid-discography song McDonnellz, something he did for most of their songs, perhaps more of a reminder for the band than for us to keep along with a setlist most of us were unaware of.
Catchy hooks, classy electric guitar solos, and superb drumming were featured throughout, and the venue’s diverse crowd was rocking along.
There were the obligatory phones in the air for Danger and Gay Bar, of course, but were then happily returned to pockets for the rest, times during which I was sure everyone was listening intently to the darkly comic and often salacious lyricism.
It was seemingly over too quickly, the time flew, and the crowd were chanting ‘One more song!’.
We were then informed by Valentine that: “We’re not just doing one song, not two songs, we’re talking three songs!”
One such song was one which I can’t believe isn’t a big hit – “Hello, I See You” – which Valentine informed us was about ‘the ecstasy of accepting Satan as your lord and saviour’.
Perhaps boosted by England beating Slovakia that night, we left jubilant and wanting more.
The next time Electric Six roll into town, I’ll be sure to buy a ticket, as a ‘fan’ of the band.
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