Haunted Love, Teenwolf and The Brunettes Gig

Ever had the feeling that you've just seen what could have been a fantastic gig but it was ruined by factors other than the band. I went to The Brunettes headlining gig at Refuel and anyone with a Radio One concession card could get in for free. Thus inviting idiots who weren't that bothered about the bands. I only saw the end of Haunted Love's set (though I had turned up hours before because the correct start time hadn't been published anywhere) and they seemed fine enough though I'd say that their music wasn't in its element in the live arena.I really enjoyed Teenwolf they had same great sort of dance-synth-rock-pop thing going on which was an almost polar opposite to Haunted Love both in energy and how good it was live. At this point the place was only a bit crowded so you weren't too cramped and had room to dance badly. Teenwolf had great thumping drom beats as well as lovely shiny 80s keyboard meanderings. Well then there was The Brunettes or at least there would have been if a seemingly endless supply of very tall drunken men hadn’t decided that it was a good idea to block the stage from half the audience. The place quickly began to fill up and the density of the audience in that smallish space certain wasn’t ideal to watch a rockabilly’d up twee pop group. So after a bit I managed to get some view of the stage and I’m kinda getting into once I get used to the constant chattering during the songs (what on earth where they talking about that was so important, the upcoming Tintin movies?) until the afore mentioned 6 foot plus tosspots start chanting nonsensical grunts between two shiny indie pop numbers. Band co-leaders Jonathan Bree and Heather Mansfield managed to keep it together and got the inebriated prats to stop acting like they were at a rugby match. So I continued watching the show cramped up like a man kept in a carpet roll, trying to snatch a glance of the stage; while people around me were chatting about… I dunno maybe their psychology degrees. I’d like to say the music was good and I really think it was but it would have been so much better if the rest off them had buggered off to a Sabbath gig (actually I enjoy others suffering so lets make it Maroon ‘banal rubbish’ 5 atrocity).My companion on the evening claimed I was making too much of these irritations. She was probably right but once those things have gotten to you they’ve most certainly gotcha. My advice for Brunettes gigs: make sure people have to pay to get in and the venue is a good size. Oh and if you’re feeling particular militant put on a height restriction or a Uttertosspot-O-Meter.The Brunettes sing Polyester Meets Acetate from 2004's Mar's Love Venus.The Brunettes at a gig from last year that looks like it went better than the one I went to.The next album.