Who
Das Koolies
Support
Echo Juliet
Where
Kings Heath Hare And Hounds
When
8th September 2024
Price
£20.00
Who with
No-one
Position
Towards the front
Comments
The concept of Das Koolies as an imaginary band has been on my radar for a long time, and although I can't place it I think Super Furry Animals mentioned them way back. When Gruff focused on his solo career and SFA stopped releasing records in 2009 there wasn't much action from the other guys, but after the delirious reformation concerts it seems that they found their motivation in forming Das Koolies for real to explore their capabilities. After comparing their material it seems clear that Gruff was the pop maestro whereas Bunf, Daf, Cian and Guto were more electronic and experimental, although the Love Kraft album also demonstrated that all the band could sing and write perfectly well. Cian in particular showed real talent with Bowl Me Over by Acid Casuals and Cabin Fever off Love Kraft being obvious highlights. I got a couple of vinyl releases from Das Koolies as they emerged and have to admit that I didn't pay too much attention, but I quite liked the material. There are still no signs of SFA coming back for more and it definitely made me sit up when I saw that Best Mindfuck Yet was the opener on their first album DK.01. I first heard this tune as an extraordinary moment near the end of the Furrymania shows of 2001, but I believe it was first composed in the late 1990s, unless I've imagined that. Whether it actually is Arnold Schwarzenegger being sampled or just a soundalike I don't know, but it sure sounded like him. Despite subscribing to the newsletter for the Hare And Hounds I didn't spot this show at first, and annoyingly the SFA Facebook page failed to mention it as they usually do.

Fortunately I saw it somewhere, and after overcoming the shock of it escaping my attention I quickly got a ticket. I also was seeing Gruff Rhys and Euros Childs to round out 2024, so was refocusing on my Welsh idols entirely by coincidence. The Hare And Hounds newsletter is so focused on the week ahead that it pretty much ignores everything else, so to not get the one piece of information that I actually wanted to hear from them was most annoying. I knew that I'd have to drive there to avoid the hassle of getting to and from Birmingham centre, and as this was the first Sunday of Heritage Week that I would have a busy day. In fact I saw Beetlejuice 2 at the cinema on Friday night and Blur Live At Wembley also at the cinema on Saturday night in addition to full days out over the weekend, so it was a far busier few days than I'd have chosen. But this was how the cookie crumbled, and although it hurt my motivation, I clearly wasn't going to miss out on anything. I tried listening to Das Koolies but kept getting sidetracked by my returning obsession with The Stone Roses, which had come out of almost nowhere but was probably encouraged by my reading their excellent biography at the time. I had seen some footage of Das Koolies live and really wasn't taken with their concept of playing behind a screen and making themselves almost invisible to the audience. I know they are shy, but I still like to see what's going on. On Saturday I spent the day in Crewe and then Stoke dashing around seeing obscure but worthwhile churches, and I can't believe that there were only four people in the cinema watching Blur! I was expecting a full room like there had been for the To The End documentary, and it was even worse as six seats showed as taken but two people had presumably not bothered to turn up. Given that even Odeon members such as myself have to pay full price for event shows like this, it was a shocker to have people failing to appear.

As I had time before the cinema in Stafford I enjoyed a massively extravagant and expensive meal followed by a dessert shop and then a quick pint at a craft beer pub I'd not been to before. Also my instinct to be punctual to the cinema was quite correct as the show started after just 10 minutes of trailers. 2 of the 4 in the meagre crowd therefore missed the first few songs, which was just mad. The weather forecast for the Sunday was poor but they got it wrong as usual, and in the end my main risk was not getting burned from the unprompted hours of sunshine. I started the day with a long drive to Astley Castle, which had been converted into luxury hire accommodation for six people, with a new build amid the castle ruins. There was a lovely church next door too, and after this I drove into Nuneaton to visit the rarely-open St Nicholas Church. It was severely lacking the expected volumes of stained glass but I gained most pleasure from a free tower tour, even enjoying a unique invitation to climb a dodgy ladder and see the clock mechanism. The views from the top were outstanding as it was blue skies and sunshine by this point. I popped into a small church near Nuneaton before continuing to Polesworth Abbey, which claims to be 1200 years old. Its claim is shaky as most of the building is much newer, but it feels ancient and had a lovely vibe. Also there was a pretty garden around the back and I saw some moments of a battle reenactment taking place there. I knew that I had time to kill due to the show and that going home was not worth my while, so I wandered around Polesworth a bit and I think I got to see all of the interesting buildings I could. I stopped at a random church that caught my eye which was closed, before plugging in the sat nav and driving onto Star City so I could enjoy some Taco Bell.

I definitely had time for a more elaborate meal but I had done that yesterday and I rarely miss the chance to visit Taco Bell. I'd also ventured to the one near Crewe for lunch the day before. However the M6/M42 link road was closed and my sat nav refused point blank to offer me any route besides "turn back and do it again". Fortunately I had plenty of time and got to relax and enjoy the beefy fries burrito for a second time, as well as a side of unnecessary nachos. I then ventured to a dessert shop for a fancy sundae, but the toilets at both places were locked cubicles, leaving me with no choice but to drive on with sticky hands. Google Maps warned me that the journey was surprisingly long but apart from some congestion when joining the road to Kings Heath it was as smooth as I could hope for. Despite the 2 person only car lanes being supposedly out of use, nobody trusted them so I stayed out of them anyway. I am sure that I could have found some street parking but I just paid a few pounds for a regular car park instead, which was next to the Welcome To Kings Heath graffiti. It was my second time at the Hare And Hounds after seeing the Boo Radleys in 2021, and I believe that the venue has got two rooms but that this show was in the main room. The sign outside the venue had been modified to say Queens Heath, which I believe is a reference to Joe Lycett's efforts to hold Pride events in Kings Heath each year and turn it into a gay village for his amusement and convenience. The bar at the venue wasn't too busy and was pleasant, and I enjoyed a pint of Attic Brew beer followed by a Neck Oil. Although I wasn't eating, the food looked pretty decent too.

However the main surprise was to clock that Bunf and Daf were in the bar eating and drinking. I snapped a cheeky picture of them at a distant table to prove the point, and I saw Bunf go to the bar for another drink. He was wearing a Badly Drawn Boy style tea cosy and looked very slim indeed. I was wearing my classic Furrymania top in an accidental homage to the first time I'd heard Best Mindfuck Yet 23 years before this, and I spotted one fan wearing a Das Koolies t-shirt. I noted one or two other Super Furry Animals t-shirts, but not as many as I would have expected to see. I'd arrived before the doors had opened but I had quite easily filled the time, finding chance to draft the thorough notes above on my phone that make up the most detailed part of this review. I thought the time had come to see what I'd paid for so I exited the bar, briefly popping outside to find the staircase up into the venue itself. I showed a PDF of my ticket and got my hand stamped, and although it was darker and it felt like windows had since been blocked off, I could tell that this was definitely the same room I had seen The Boo Radleys in. I went to the spookily dark toilets to the left of the stage to confirm this also. There was a DJ to the right and running times were displayed on the mixing desk. Also there was a small merchandise stand and I could see that everyone was drinking out of plastic cups, so the temptation to continue drinking was zero, which was also helpful as I would have to drive back too and was conscious that I may already be tired by then. The fans were all clustered at the back, not wanting to venture closer to the stage. It wasn't too busy and Sunday was a strange choice of night, but in the end the room felt busy enough so I'm sure quite a few tickets had been sold. The name of the venue was displayed at the back of the stage and the running times I'd seen showed me that the support act Echo Juliet would be starting at 8pm.

Echo Juliet was the trading name of a solo lady artist who quietly appeared onstage. She had a blue fringe and a t-shirt that randomly reminded me of 1990s fashion logo Fat Willy's Surf Shack. She also sported some very high trainers and thankfully explained her stage setup to us. She had a laptop next to a touch pad and was using it to live loop her playing, accompanying it with an instrument called a MalletKAT, which basically was an electronic xylophone that she could hit in a similar manner. She also had a small electronic drum kit and everything was instrumental. The music and the lights were good but it was getting increasingly warm, and Echo Juliet invited us to stop standing at the back and to move forwards to fill the rather silly empty void in front of the stage. There was an abrupt moment of silence when she forgot to press record on a loop, and she spoke about the last time she was here and didn't have vinyl pressed yet, but this time she had the opposite problem of it all having sold out. She did have newer material which was available, and asked us to guess the sample before a tune, which ended up being Teardrop by Massive Attack. Although it was easy to recognise, the real talent perhaps was doing so before the vocals came in? Echo Juliet said that she had heard Das Koolies soundcheck and that we were in for a real treat, which reminded me that Das Koolies most likely have local support at each show rather than having someone following them around. Echo Juliet went down well with everyone and delivered an interesting and unusual set, which is more than the vast majority of support acts can manage, and that is an even rarer achievement at such a small show.

Once she finished she packed up her own equipment, and the two screens were moved forwards to hide the band. Bunf briefly appeared to help with the setting up and I spied Cian also, and it was a relief when they tested the screens and I could see that they were going to be video footage and not just a rude barrier preventing us from actually watching the band play. The screens were mirrored, meaning that the one to the right had the lettering backwards, which was unusual but probably was visually more appealing as well as simpler to do than two separate video feeds or one massive screen, and that little gap in the middle gave me line of sight of Daf peeking through the middle, which was much appreciated. Das Koolies had been due to start at 9pm but appeared 15-20 minutes late, as I had my first very brief sighting of Guto on his brief walk from the side door to the stage. The band knuckled down and opened with Best Mindfuck Yet, which was consistent with the album but a surprise as it is such an obvious closer. However given how the show unfolded I am happy that the other tunes held their own and that the ordering was great in the end. 23 years after Furrymania I finally completed the circle by getting to hear a full live version of the song, even though it was sadly missing any video footage of Arnie himself. I shot a particularly long 4 minute video that seemed to be black and white footage of the Martian surface before flashing the four (three?) words onscreen in a most hypnotic fashion. It's funny that here I am typing this up after watching Escape Plan, co-starring Arnie himself! There were a couple of guys dancing to the right and the left of the stage, and the right dancer sometimes popped into the frame of my video. I was standing near the front but a little back and I did feel slightly like a barrier preventing fans from hitting the dance floor and really starting to rave. Between the projections I could see how creased the screens were, and although I would much rather watch the band, at least they gave us something else to look at.

Next up was Police Next Door, which sounded very powerful and loud and quickly reassured me that Das Koolies had multiple songs that were 100% worth the effort of coming to watch live. It also has some slight vibes of Wherever I Lay My Phone (That's My Home), which never can do any harm. All the vocals seemed to be pre-recorded and it was difficult to tell how much was actually being played live. I think I heard a little guitar - and one was passed to Bunf at one point - but most strangely Guto was entirely hidden throughout and I never got the slightest inkling as to what he was doing or playing. But if there was any doubts I had about how talented the guys were, this night surely dispelled them. Although without the pop sensibilities of Gruff, the sound of Das Koolies just doesn't have the same heart or interest as a classic SFA show can muster. Cian was wearing a hat and I saw him and Bunf occasionally pop their heads above the screens. Also they said thank you in German and Japanese, but banter was kept to an absolute minimum as one would expect from a band this shy. I shot a second video of what may have been It's All About The Dolphins, which was notable for having cool heads whizzing across the screen, similar to what you can see above. It was a recurring motif and some of the video themes were repeated several times. Masters Of Mankind was excellent and between the two screens were six flashing poles to add to the atmosphere. It felt that Das Koolies would work brilliantly in a club setting, as surely their music would be better liked than the random shit I used to hear when I went to such places? Also if they booked to play at a standard club then they could enjoy a spontaneous reception of people just getting into the music and dancing rather than looking at the stage, which I'm sure is what they were going for. However it was a Sunday night and we were fans, so we were clearly going to studiously watch the stage and a rave was unlikely to occur.

Dim Byd Mawr was a real highlight and the techno sounds here were glorious, and I shot my third video, capturing a bit of skateboarding in the visuals. I then shot some golden busts dancing around during Out Of This World and since I was getting into it I also recorded quite a bit of Pain Down The Drain, which was another highlight and featured a manic video of a guy and a girl alternating on the screen in repeating raving footage. It just sounded wonderful. The set then drew to a close with The Condemned, which I recorded from near the introduction. The golden busts again danced around on the screen and I think that this is the best conventional song that Das Koolies may ever do. However I did appreciate the ear-splitting volume and energy of the ravier material, and on balance I would say I preferred that. At the end of my video the guy dancing to the left snuck in front of me and blocked my view a bit, but I am sure that many of the crowd wanted to dance and were too self conscious to do so. The band left, with the lights going down so the last two members - including the insanely shy Guto - could exit in total secrecy. We cheered for a bit yet it was clear that the no encores philosophy was shared by Das Koolies, plus indeed just what else was there to hear? Alligator and Wired For Sound would have made a decent encore for sure, but the fake process of leaving the stage then coming back for more just doesn't appeal to them, and all of the strongest tunes were present and correct. The DJ played Don't Fight It, Feel It by Primal Scream and after a few moments we gradually exited the venue and went back down the stairs. The show had finished at 10.10pm, giving me ample time to drive home and to be in bed for a reasonable time. Also it meant that I didn't have to worry about exceeding my paid for time on the car park.

After a long weekend I appreciated the early finish, driving home as fast as I could through the rain and staying up to tidy up and write up a few notes. Nine days later I have found the time to write up this review, which is pretty fast by my standards. The following Saturday I ventured to Bournville to enjoy some more Heritage Week events and then popped to the cinema on the Sunday to see Speak No Evil, although as the weather was so terrible and I had been so busy I declined a long pencilled in trip to see a car show at Trentham Gardens and also the back up plan of going to Haden Old Hall. In the end the weather was awful and it was definitely the right move. I also finished reading The Stone Roses book and playing Super Wario Land on the Super Gameboy as well as sorting a few photos plus preparing for a week travelling up to Newcastle and Edinburgh. I also had started to watch The A-Team nightly and was enjoying it enormously, and it made me reconnect with memories of seeing SFA come onstage in 2005 to a glorious mash up of the Rocky fanfare and A-Team theme. I watched low quality YouTube footage of this spectacular moment to relive the entry by golf buggy, and it was so fitting to regain my appreciation of the moment where Super Furry Animals came into their own as a multi-talented group with four top notch singers in their midst, and to appreciate that this Das Koolies concert 19 years later was the culmination of that journey. As it had been so loud my ears were whistling a lot afterwards, but I woke up at my normal time in the morning and got back into the grind of another work week, albeit as I am at home it is as pleasant as work can be probably. Although tempted to give this a higher score due to the SFA connection, 7.5/10 feels right as it puts them level with The Divine Comedy, The Boo Radleys and The Prodigy, all of which were perfectly solid shows. This had been lower on hits but had definitely been worth the effort, although I hope one day that Super Furry Animals will finally record that elusive tenth album for us to enjoy and appreciate!
Setlist
Best Mindfuck Yet
Police Next Door
Katal
It's All About The Dolphins
A Ride
Masters Of Mankind
Dim Byd Mawr
Out Of This World
Pain Down The Drain
The Condemned
n.b. This setlist was from another gig, but it's either correct or similar

Mark: 7.5/10