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Welcome to the apocalypse. Or so it would seem in the Leaf Tea Shop as Sugarlife begins his diatribe against the modern world, in all its deformed ugliness.
Casting out rumpled dollar bills from his threadbare trousers, the performance artist/poet rallies against the rampant consumerism that has gripped the West for the last century. A smoke machine splutters stinking fumes, as Sugarlife ironically poses in pink shutter shades, whilst menacingly proclaiming “I saw you in my dreams last night”.
Looking like a hybrid of Angelos Epithemiou and Iggy Pop, he commands the stage with a shuffling presence. Pre-programmed beats provide the backdrop to a gloomy portrayal of the world in which we live in. The paranoia of city living is laid out for all to see, as well as the insincerity of the bright lights and skyscrapers that mark out big cities everywhere.
Insincerity is not a criticism that could be levelled at headline act Enablers. These guys rock. Hard. Ambient guitar hooks combine with fearsome drums to create a groundswell of noise that grabs you right in the gut.
Frontman Pete Simonelli is a coiled spring waiting to explode. His core seems to be propelled by a fiery rage that would have most lead singers half his age clamouring for cocoa. He prowls the stage, leering forward into the crowd, waiting to spit venom in anybody and everybody’s face. He dedicates songs to waifish girls in the crowd, coming over like Nick Cave at an Avril Lavigne gig.
His between song chitchat indicates that this is a man with plenty to say for himself, but unfortunately with his live wire body language and the racket behind him, it was difficult to pick out his lyrics.
A night then dominated by magnetic stage presence, and lots of angry, middle aged men weary of this strange old world we live in. Simonelli quips “Ever fallen in love with someone so much and well…you just wanna kick it?”. Balding heads nod in agreement. Do not go gently into that good night…
Enablers Myspace: http://myspace.com/enablers
Enablers official: http://enablerssf.com
Sugarlife Myspace: http://myspace.com/sugarlif