The Parkinsons
Live at Rocket on Tuesday, 1st October 2002
It's been one long round of scaring A&R men since we introduced you to those 'Frenchcore' nutters les Flames! Le chat is most certainly out of the bag and now they've got so many gigs lined up all over the UK not all the band can make it.
Thankfully up to full complement for tonight's foray into shouty excess, les Flames! are frankly rocking and thoroughly amusing right through to set-closer, the self-celebrating 'Vive les Flames!' They're very much garage-punk country cousins to tonight's three quarters Portuguese, fully insane headliners. Al, Lead singer of The Parkinsons sure likes the Leeds fayre too, on and offstage he wastes no time telling folks that les Flames! are without doubt the best band they've played with on this the 17th date of their UK tour.
When not leaping into Guitarist Rene trying to fall in a heap, Henri les Flames! prowls the dancefloor eyeballing the crowd but tragically a full foray was prevented by Henri's lack of length (in the mic lead department that is..!).
No such problems for Al from The Parkinsons. This loon has metres to spare. Indeed he has enough to wrap round his head a few times then recklessly leg it off into the crowd to brutally force unwitting punters to mosh.
He's one of those mad nutcases that really makes you think the man sure deserves all the trappings that rock and roll can offer. Even before the gig, the band warmed up (on the drinking front) by sharing a few bevs with the fans surrounding them in the Scarborough Taps.
Standing atop the rear PA speaker he ranting about London on the highly Clash-ish Somerstown from the recent EP Streets Of London looking as though he's pointing back to London even though he's facing due North. But the climbing doesn't stop there. The rear PA is small fry, there's the right hand side main PA speaker to mount. Then it's down from the stack for a quick crowd surf tour of the room before being deposited on the bar. Stopping briefly to refresh himself by directly guzzling from a beer pump, he's then off, barman in hand for a quick sashay before heading back to the stage to round things off.
Mad, crazy, punk genius. Now go get some tunes.