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When
Pulp released Different Class in 1995 it unleashed a 'working class
chic' ethic among the young trendies, fronted by Jarvis Cocker and
his NHS glasses.
But now
a new lower life-form phenomenon has taken over?the chavs, fronted
by Newport ratboys Goldie Lookin Chain.
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| Chav
chic with Goldie Lookin Chain |
These
are the guys you normally see down your local precinct swigging a
litre-bottle of Diamond White with a fag permanently stuck to their
fingers and a burberry cap wedged on their wet-look hair.
Never
gonna be a good look?or so we thought.
The Fez
Club in Reading was teeming with shellsuits, upside down sun visors,
thick golden chains worn over tracksuit tops and of course, Burberry.
All these hip young things had suddenly adopted the style to look
the part of a GLC crowd. Sad but true.
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| Dwain
Xain Zedong |
However,
nothing they wore could compare with the Chain themselves, who suddenly
bounced on stage to a buzzing gangsta beat with trucker caps, chains,
and the wet-spider look hair do.
It
was clear that the eight-strong 'band' are as panto-esque as label
stablemates The Darkness, and have cleverly taken their own stereotype
to create the kind of hype that everyone wants to go and see.
Gaining
popularity through mostly word-of-mouth, they've been catapulted
into the national spotlight and have supported The Darkness, Super
Furry Animals and The Streets.
They boomed
down the microphone 'have you been smoking draw?' and their slogan
'safe as f***' before launching into what would be a superb and highly
professional set.
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| Mr
Loveeggs |
They went
on the lyrical rampage behind a Grand Master Flash-style backing track
and performed with such enthusiasm that it was hard to take your eyes
off them.
With a
stage alive with exaggerated rap dancing, they were flicking their
arms forward Mr Tickle style while singing their comedy lyrics about
chav life: 'Smoke The Draw', 'GLC Leisurewear' and singing Evil Alchemist
in Newport to the tune of Sting's Englishman in New York.
After
each song came the expected 'safe as f***' and 'you knows it'.
"You gotta
smoke a reefer or two' was sung to Oliver the musical's 'you've got
to pick a pocket or two', and the song 'Your Mum's Got a Penis' used
Clapton's 'Who do you Love' keyboard sample.
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| 'You
knows it' |
I can't
resist including some of the lyrics: 'She walks down the street with
a short dress on, which sometimes exposes the tip of her dong'. Naff,
yes, silly, yes, but also worth a snigger.
Their
new single Half Man/ Half Robot (released April 19) is about band-member
The Maggot's obsession with Terminator Three and walking down the
street wrapped in tin-foil.
But despite
their constant referencing to smoking crack draw, getting wasted in
Newport and gooning around, they pulled off a skilled set with lightening
speed rapping, funny rhyming lyrics, mick-taking, stomping backing
tracks and energetic dancing.
After
45 minutes they all left with the now expected 'we're off to smoke
some draw now' and disappeared without an encore but to a rapturous
applause.
This band
may be a joke on the surface, but it's clearly a joke that everyone
can enjoy; and if this band don't make it bigger than they already
are, I'll eat my Burberry hat.
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