22 April 2009 (gig)
27 April 2009
New York City’s The Virgins have been garnering a lot of attention in recent times. Hailed as the new Strokes, they have already supported the likes of Jet and Sonic Youth. After a performance at South by Southwest Festival and numerous features in American teen dramas, such as Gossip Girl, The Virgins are out on their first full scale UK tour in support of their new record.
Openers Chew Lips and Amazing Baby got the evening off to an ominously lacklustre start, with the former featuring an irritating synth rhythm section and a charismatic but misguided lead vocalist. The latter made up for what they lack in talent with pure volume and self-assured swagger and left their unfamiliar audience underwhelmed to say the least. When the headliners finally arrived onstage it was to a relieved and enthusiastic crowd who were obviously already fans of the band.
The Virgins’ tunes are catchy slices of indie-pop, and it’s easy to see why the Strokes comparisons have already been made. The same cutting guitar patterns are here, the same pounding rhythms and memorable choruses. The band are also completely in tune with their responsive audience and know how to put on a show; charismatic frontman Donald Cummings prances wildly about the stage, channelling all the camp showmanship of Mick Jagger or Morrissey, much to his female fans’ delight. That said, you can’t help but feel that their set lacks imagination and finesse, as they bounce mechanically from one up-tempo pop-punk tune to another with no deviation at all.
On the stronger numbers, such as 'She’s Expensive' or 'Teen Lovers', the band really shines through, but this really only serves to heighten the realisation that many of their songs are in fact the same song. There’s also the fact that it’s impossible to see any distinctive selling point to the band. They do sound like an amalgam of pretty much every band to ever come out of Manhattan; whether it’s The New York Dolls, Patti Smith, The Strokes, or The Velvet Underground, only without any of those artists’ unique qualities.
The main problem with attracting these kind of comparisons of course is that the band, as their name suggests, are far too clean cut to stand tall against their more anarchic ancestors. There’s absolutely nothing controversial about The Virgins at all and, unless they can find a new way of approaching the time-tested 'commercial punk’ formula, or drastically spice up their act, they are unlikely to be returning to these shores for a follow-up tour. Either way, they’re going to have to get their hands dirty!
