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Kate Nash @ El Rey Theatre 05/11/10
The cheeky, flame-haired singer, Kate Nash played to a sold out crowd at the El Rey Theatre last Tuesday. Equipped with a back up band that played well, but never showed off, Nash showcased her latest release, My Best Friend Is You. With a thick cockney accent and an appreciation for mischief, Miss Nash has long won the hearts of those who like their pop on the saucier side, but find Lily Allen a bit too bitter and Adele a tad too sweet. (Honestly, London has got the cheeky 1960s girl group influenced pop market cornered right now.)
The place was packed with ladies dressed to the nines, who knew most of the words to each song, and their begrudging dates, who were probably promised all sorts of things in return for this show. Almost in acknowledgment of her audience's makeup, Kate Nash sat in front of a piano with a banner that read "A cunt is a useful thing." The reason for that banner wasn't fully explained (in case some of us had forgotten?) But I'm guessing it has something to do with a new riot grrrl image and it's a reference to Penny Arcade's single "A Cunt is a Useful Thing" (B-side: "The Government Doesn't Want People to Fuck"), but who really knows?
What is for certain is that Miss Nash is tired of being cute. Dressed up in a leather jacket with a blunt banged hairdo, Nash varied her set between her lovely pop songs and some punk edged ballads. Some of which were quite pleasant to listen to and some that threatened to rip your eardrums out through your nose. Her lovely low voice just became this really unpleasant screech howl. For my money, I really wish she'd stick to the saucy pop that made her famous, however, maybe with the right voice coach, she could nail it down. The night ended with a number of marriage proposals from the audience, and the teenage openers Supercute! doing an old school shimmy in pink sparkly dresses that would have made the Supremes proud.
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