Lick Online - Live

Nice 'n' Sleazy

On their MySpace, We Were Promised Jetpacks maintain that they sound like “Bloc Party crouching on their knees behind Biffy Clyro, about to be pushed over by We Are Scientists and The Strokes”. The likelihood of this was on a par with me becoming the next Mrs Johnny Depp…and I wasn’t mistaken.

Hailing from Stirling, the starry-eyed sophomores were clearly deluded, attempting to juxtapose their varied but admirable musical influences with a sound that was as dispiriting as their city. If front man Adam Thompson tried as hard with his vocals as he did with his hair then they would at least have reached the starting block.

Guitarist Michael Palmer, on the other hand, was in a league of his own. Sporting an afro that would out shadow Beth Ditto, he commanded the set and thrilled the crowd with his extraordinarily hypersonic riffs. Lighting up the stage with enough energy to power a whole town, style and self-assurance poured from Palmer as he launched into his rapturous composition. On drums Darren Lackie sometimes struggled to keep up the pace, briefly losing one of his sticks, but swiftly managed to get back on the beat.

Although the majority of their songs failed to strike a chord, “Small Talk” and “Let’s Call This a Map” were highlights, the latter combining heavy angular guitar layers with catchy melodies and jazz undertones. Although they had a fair amount of support, ergo leaving the audience suitably satisfied, I left wishing I really had been promised a jetpack.

> Andrea O’Neill