les Flames!
Live at Cockpit on Tuesday, 15th July 2003
On a hot summer night would you offer yourself to the man in the silver foil suit...?
It was a hot summer night at The Cockpit and the packed audience had been warmed up even more by a stunning set by impressive young guns The Alamo. The 6 members of les Flames! took the stage and launched into "Not How It Should Be" and the audience smiled. In fact most of the audience smiled throughout the next 30 minutes as les Flames! delivered an ultra-tight adrenaline-fuelled poptastic surge of rock 'n' roll. The sublime 3-guitar assault of Rene, Alfonse and Christophe led the band through "Just Say No" and "Commitment To Excellence" as Nicole and Jean-Claude Van lF laid down an unstoppable driving rhythm and Henri whipped the audience into submission. "Hands in the air" screamed Henri and our hands were in the air. Not for a long time have I witnessed such a glorious good-time gig as this set by the premier band in Leeds. "Disaster" and "Wrong" were magnificent aural postcards equivalent to the ones you used to be able to buy at the seaside, which made everyone smile! Half way through the set Henri suddenly took off his outer layer of clothes to reveal an impressive (given the 90 degree heat!) all-in-one silver suit that appeared to be made of baco-foil! Henri and Rene - I understand you're looking for suggestions regarding a les Flames! cover version? How about "Hi Ho Silver Lining"?!! Henri demanded our attention, commanding proceedings like the wonderful Frankenstein son of Holly Johnson, Wreckless Eric and Ben Elton. He continued to work the audience as Alfonse downed his guitar and became impressive twin lead vocalist. Rene led the band with some outstanding guitar playing. One of my favourite punk guitarists is Alan Campbell (UK Subs) and Rene hit the button during the last few songs in the same way that the 'Subs did recently. Awesome! The band finished their set playing "Mutley 1 From Essex" and the stupendous "Vive les Flames!" by which time the audience was in heaven (I was back in 1977!). Surely les Flames! will get to play this year's Leeds festival? On this showing they should have been booked to play there already! I understand that in last year's Futuresound competition les Flames! missed out on a winning place because one of the judges objected to Henri's swearing and marked the band down. No such problem this year I hope? No French phrase comes to mind to sum up tonight's performance by les Flames! and so, at the risk of incurring the wrath (sic) of **hn *r**m**, the old English phrase "f*cking brilliant" will have to suffice...
