FACT: When I was living in London I used to order from the Bombay Bicycle Club curry shop regularly. Their papadums almost always arrived soggy.

FACT: There is a London band named after a chain of curry shops.

FACT: This is about them.

Anyway. Bit of an ebb and flow show for Bombay Bicycle Club at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver on February 21^st.

All the ingredients were there: a full, young, perky crowd singing along, great energy and smiles from the six-piece, and a rad start with “How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep” flowing into “Your Eyes”. They’ve got a nice wooshy early-90s shoegaze-mushed-with-pop-and-folk-sound. Their latest album, A Different Fix was pretty good. Guitarist Jamie ably encouraged the kids to clap, and they did! There was genuine love for Vancouver: “I’m sorry it’s taken us so long to get here,” said Jack the Polite Lead Singer, and, later, “We had one of the best days off. I know it’s cheesy but we rented tandem bicycles and went around Stanley Park. And some of us took a floatplane. It’s beautiful here.”  Lovely chaps, the BBC.

But after a few songs of it, something became apparent: they’ve got  just a few songs of it. In turns, things started to sound…eep, samey.

So it was like being on a see-saw: Woo! I like them!/Hmm, I’m a bit bored/Woo! I like them again!/Hmm, think I’ll check my phone/Woo! Rockin’ out!/

Hmm…oh my gods, is that Yannis Philippakis from one of my fave UK band the FOALS hanging out by the bar? CHRIST! IT IS! TO THE BAR!

(Whereupon I promptly ended up in a fun conversation with Yannis about why he was in town. First, he said “mates” until I said: “you’re here for a girl, right?” at which point he looked a bit bashful, smiled and mumbled “yeah”. We talked about the last time he was in town – last May when he checked out Yeasayer. And he he asked me: “Hey, didn’t you write something about us last time we played here?”. Oh you mean this review of when Foals had a mental breakdown on stage and I called you on it over Twitter? YES. YES I DID WRITE THAT.”I thought you had lost the plot,” I said. “Nah, we’re just psycho,” he said with a devillish grin. And I believe him.)

Anyway, you get the gist. The BBC certainly gave it, were good enough, I dug ‘em. Then I ran into Yannis. Which I dug more. Sorry, Beeb! \m/

SETLIST:

• How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep
• Your Eyes
• Bad Timing
• Open House
• Dust on the Ground
• Leave It
• Take the Right One
• Lights Out, Words Gone
• Rinse Me Down
• Ivy & Gold
• Evening/Morning
• Cancel on Me
• Lamplight
• Beggars
• Always Like This
• What You Want
• Shuffle
• What If

Perth, Australia’s Tame Impala showed up at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom on April 21 (as headliners on a tour with Yuck) and came complete with a swirlie lightshow, a pretty fucking rad bass guitar sported by Nick Allbrook and enough dry ice to fake-freeze the stoner audience. Or was that spliff? Yep, it totally was spliff. The girl behind me was dancing like it was Woodstock.

Anyway, was totally one of those shows where I wished I’d actually been stoned, because the reviews all swung between “HOLY CRAP, BLEW MY MIND, DUDE” to “their name fits.” And I have to admit I had my feet planted firmly in the muddy latter campsite. Tame Impala do actually rock, and I can totally dig their psychedelic pop, but live? Great lights. But when every song mushes into another and makes you feel like you could just be staying at home dealing with your munchies more effectively whilst playing the album…it’s hard for me to stir up a passionate response. But for all those whose third eyes were totally opened by the majesty shredding of the Tame Impalas, glad you enjoyed. That’s what it’s about, hey? \m/

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s new album Beat the Devil’s Tattoo is out March 8/9.

PS, I’ll have you know that Peter Hayes came over to us after the show in Van, because we’re that cool. Good to chat with him – though I had also interviewed him before sometime around 2001 in London, England. “I, uh, am sorry I don’t remember that,” he shyly mumbled. “Was it good for you?” I asked. “If it was good for you, it was good for me,” he replied. Points for that. And for the ‘chops.