LIVE REVIEW Water Rats Theatre Thu 21st Nov 2002 Text by Matthew Grundy

Dawn of the Replicants Dawn of the Replicants have been away for a while. After being dropped by their last label eastwest, singer Paul Vickers and guitarist Roger Simian embarked on a freaky electronic side project under the guise of Pluto Monkey. "It's something we had to get out of our system", explains Roger. "After getting dropped by eastwest, me and Paul felt that it was the perfect opportunity to experiment with all the ideas that we could never have experimented with while we were with the label". Fair enough, but that doesn't explain an absence of three years, and it seems that those three years will forever be lost like a jumbo jet in the Bermuda Triangle of the music business. It's a point that seems to fall on deaf ears, "Me and Roger did Pluto Monkey and we just had some time off", shrugs Paul. Perhaps it's an issue best left alone; perhaps something so dreadful happened in that dark hovel they've been hiding in that they can't bear to talk about it. One can only imagine what bizarre capers take place in the land of Replicants. Or maybe they just went back to Scotland and sat on their arses for ages. You decide. Four years ago the Replicants were supporting Ultrasound at the Tunbridge Wells Forum, which, incidentally, used to be a public lavatory. The most memorable element of that gig, however, was singer Paul Vickers' surgeon outfit and his gratuitous use of glitter and an electric fan. So, what kind of crazy antics would Mr. Vickers get up to this time? Well, today Paul is togged up in what can only be described as normal clothes. Normal for Paddington Bear, at least. But enough about the clothes; the band hop, skip and jump to the stage and take to their respective instruments like five-year-olds running to the tree on Christmas morning. Yes, they really are that glad to be playing, and it shows throughout the set. Paul and Roger exchange banter as if they were just sitting in the pub; everybody is wearing a smile as wide as the Grand Canyon; and every musical move they make is bursting with devotion and fervour. It's quite clear that Dawn of the Replicants are glad to be back; back for good, as the song goes. The vast majority of the set is based on the songs from the new album, 'Touching the Propeller', released on Flying Sparks Records, which, compared to their previous work, is a rather refreshingly stripped down affair. At first, then, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the band were intent on doing away with the past and putting the blinkers on for the future. "It's a London audience, so it's all about PROGRESSION", jests Paul onstage. Even when the audience members take turns to request their favourite song, the band just laugh as each title is thrown at them, and when the rowdy punters eventually run out of suggestions, quietly launch into new song 'Trout Fishing' as if nothing has happened. But before long it's out with the old tricks. Half way through the set, Paul decides that it's the perfect time to make a banana milkshake onstage, much to the annoyance of the crew as the mixture spills all over the monitors. Then he announces that the first person to drink it all wins a signed copy of Vogue magazine, "It's the latest issue, not just some old copy from the dentist's". Then out comes the glitter. Then out comes the classic rocker 'Cocaine on the Catwalk' from their eastwest days. As much fun as it is to witness Dawn of the Replicants live, it's a shame that the band feel they need to resort to such tactics to win over the audience, rather than just letting the new music speak for itself. It's not as if they haven't got the tunes to back themselves up. New single 'Leaving Town' sounds more like Nick Cave than Mr. Cave himself could ever do; 'Afraid of the Ground' is a luscious slice of zonked-out dub genius; and 'No Room at the Inn' climaxes with Sonny n' Cher-esque call and answer vocals, high speed skiffle guitars, and bubbling bass. It's a tough situation when you have so much to look forward to in the future but your past just keeps dragging you back. The Replicants have oodles of promise and talent but it's evident that they are crowd-pleasers at heart, and just can't resist the temptation to slip into gimmicks to get the job done; which is a shame, because they do a damn fine job otherwise. Reviews Archive: Laptop, Maroon 5, The Parkinsons, Guitar Vader, The Raveonettes, Mono, Demo Workshops, The Jeevas, The Wannadies, Mclusky, Alanis Morissette, The Leaves & Phantom Planet, The Breeders, Freeheat, The Hives, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Peter Yorn, Jason Mraz, Mary Guibert