What could be more fun than a big time band rocking out in a tiny venue? The Joiner Arms’ miniature stage was cluttered with a melange of musical gear, and there was even a free sauna for the more audacious scenesters in the packed house. Middlesex’s finest suburban knights Hard-Fi were out to promote their new album Once Upon A Time In The West (not to be confused with the Sergio Leone classic of the same name), and judging on first hearing, it’s likely to be another number one for Richard Archer and Co., fulfilling the promise established by their impressive debut LP Stars of CCTV. The guys are big fans of Billy Bragg and Television, and it seems as though the lads have shifted their lyrical focus from tales of inner city strife, to more politically-charged material. The chorus of “television, the new religion, hallelujah” sounds very much like a rally cry, while “I Shall Be Released” almost plagiarizes a protest song title. Tonight, the Joiners Arms has been invaded by a symphony of synths, angular guitars, and Archer’s echoing vocals, as the group plays a mix of material old and new.
The statuesque Archer [pictured] dominates the stage, but it is guitarist Ross Philips who governs the sound, with his Wilco Johnson-style demeanour and neat, choppy solos. With his “make some noise, Southampton” exhortations, Archer nearly enters Borrell territory with his rock star posturing, but he’s a towering and amiable front man (unlike the affected Borrell). As the crowd goes bonkers for hit single “Cash Machine,” you realize this is a top quality band that, unlike many ephemeral NME-pushed indie acts, hasn’t lost its relevance just yet.
--Oliver Gray
