Listen to Why, i Think Its Love on Zane Lowe's radio one show last night 20/11/07
Monday, November 26, 2007Review of Industry gig, London, The Independent
The Dirty, Industry, London -- -- -- --
By Pierre Perrone
Published: 26 November 2007
Given the number of Russian-born people who have settled in Britain in recent years, it was only a matter of time before one of them fronted a rock group. Enter The Dirty and Kyrill Khieninson, who came to the UK aged 10. He's the focus of attention as soon as he takes the stage at this basement venue near Liverpool Street station.
He's wearing a black coat and pointy white shoes and keeps playing with a hat while yelping through the sleazy opener "The Strip". With his beaky nose and lank, dark hair, Khieninson is no pin-up, but he conveys the kind of simmering anger that makes sense when you know that he used to be a boxer. He sounds like the bastard son of Iggy Pop, especially when he sneers: "All my sweet enemies" as bassist Gee (Gerard Elliott), drummer Kieron Power and guitarist Martin Goddard make like the Stooges around him.
The Dirty have supported Iggy and have just finished touring with Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, so they're fighting fit and lift everyone's mood on the night England missed out on Euro 2008. The primal rush of "Black Sugar" sounds like punk is about to happen all over again; in this case, Brown Punk, the label launched by Tricky and Chris Blackwell, which is releasing The Dirty's "Why, I Think It's Love" single. Already a favourite on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show and clocking in at just over 80 seconds (there is a slightly longer Tricky remix), "Why, I Think It's Love" encapsulates all that's great about the band.
When Khieninson screams: "She smells of cinnamon, I want to go again," you know what he's talking about, though the primal blues of "Cesar Chavez" shows there is another side to The Dirty. The singer has an intensity that's patently not an act, but he can be playful. He mock-strangles Goddard, who plays blistering slide in "13 Devils", and then stands on one leg and points at the ceiling. Six songs in, the guitarist's amp fuses and can't be fixed.
Khieninson storms off, but it doesn't matter; The Dirty have made their point. Edgy and confident rather than arrogant, they play short, sharp, shocking songs.
Stunning.
Touring to 19 December (www.thedirty.net)
Listen to Kyrill n Marts interview at The 229 club, before our Halloween support with 80's Matchbox....
Kiz n Gee? Uhhhhhhhh too busy rollin about......
What makes everyone who’s heard them sit up and take notice is the fact that there is no empty posturing or bravado here – the songs are all that matters and The Dirty are their songs.
Behind the sound that is at times jagged and taut, at times primal and sprawling lie stories of desire and uneasy sex, of grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory, of self-mocking fights against the city, stories that manage to avoid Americana without falling into the mockney trap that swallows so many other British bands.
Full of self-belief bordering on arrogance, they made just three copies of their initial 3-track demo and, looking for the “right†start, refused show after show before having played even once. One found it’s way to PJ, the man behind Dirty Water Club. The Dirty so impressed them that PJ set up a label with the sole purpose of releasing their first 7" single. The result was "Cinnamon/Black Sugar/B-Movie Dance" released in conjunction with Artrocker. The limited edition 7â€, recorded and mixed by Toe Rag Studios’ Ed Deegan, came out to critical acclaim and sold out within a week.
Having so far played alongside the likes of The Mooney Suzuki, The French Kicks, The Immortal Lee County Killers, 10,000 Things and Special Needs; as wide a spectrum of publications as The Face and Maximum Rock and Roll are agreed in hailing them as a band to look out for in 2008. They say this year will belong to The Dirty.
The Dirty, of course, never doubted that fact to begin with.
The Dirty have signed a record deal with the new, exciting label Brown Punk, set up by Island Records impresario Chris Blackwell and renowned artist Tricky. They are on the verge of finishing their first album and will be embarking on a series of live dates...having opened for the likes of Iggy Pop, The Horrors, Idlewild and Sunshine Underground, they have also toured the UK with the fabulastic Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster.
The Dirty are currently finishing their recording process and will have news on gigs and a NEW, exciting single release in the very near future.
Dirty Love xxxx
"There's no glory in fighting when there's no-one to fight"......... Unless there's more sweetie's flying about.......
Number six in this weeks Kerrang. Check the blog area for a review of the single....
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