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Llama Farmers / Biffy Clyro / Thoria - Coventry Colosseum - 24.02.01 The gaggle of camera-clicking fans who materialize as Coventry band Thoria board the stage give a hint that we’re not about to witness some local back-room pub combo. This is confirmed almost instantly as volley after volley of searing kick-ins and razor-sharp choruses are fired into the dumbstruck crowd. Frenzied and uncontrolled, Thoria carry the same red raw vocals and buzz-tooth guitars that made kings of Seattle’s finest, leaving a trail of new fans in their wake. ‘You rock!’ shouts one young indie-alt wastrel, punching his fist into the air before scurrying off to find the exact date, time and longitude of their next gig. Turning the distortion (and the excitement) down a tad come Biffy Clyro, the latest punky college-rock offering from Scotland, land of cool bands. Slower than Idlewild and less scratchy than Urusei Yatsura, they can twist oodles of Woomble-esque vocals into spirals of paranoia and annoyance such as on forthcoming single 27, but just as often end up sounding like the direful love-scene music of a million American teen-cult shows. The hungry crowd is left curious, but more content on sucking the stuffy air and tapping their sneakers waiting for act number one to surface. And so the Llamas arrive. Now a gangling 70’s icon of cool, frontman Bernie Simpson stands more confident than he did five months ago, with those fantastically harsh kick-ins still taking pride of place in the gloriously unfettered set. Big Wheels finds its rightful slot in proceedings as does Get the Keys and Go, and much jumping and shouting tomfoolery is had by all. Contrary to popular belief, the Llama Farmers are still as valid as ever, and with not a skateboard or cheekily placed baseball cap in sight. This was a night of Nicotine spirit and stubble-raddled slacker-rock from all three bands, but for anyone who values their local scene it was Thoria who proved the catch of the evening, with their passionate whirlwind of blood red anger and petrifying angst. Their debut CD Worry Dolls is out in May so support the hell out of them. Feed their sizzling ambition and they’ll make you proud. Karl Cremin * - complaints to the usual address...! ;-P
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