Boy Kill Boy and the Charlatans UK are Definitely British
One thing, if nothing else, was made clear at the Showbox last night when Boy Kill Boy and the Charlatans UK prissied their little music sets: They are definitely British bands. They wear tight pants, they use synthesizers, and when they speak into the microphone, you can't understand a word they say.
Maybe Boy Kill Boy should have just skipped Seattle. Their polished, low-key verses rising into heavily distorted choruses with longing harmonies did not get the usual response from the motionless audience. When one person finally danced (it turns out he was from out of town), the lead singer shook his hand. While not too complicated, anyone could sing along without having heard their songs before. The way you could know what to expect, yet having it still be satisfying was reminiscent of counting in multiples of five (five, ten, fifteen, twenty...). Boy Kill Boy really played their hearts out and put on a good show that the Seattle crowd just could not overtly appreciate. At the end of the set, the lead singer said, "I guess you guys are here for The Charlatans," and walked off the stage dejected.
The Charlatans UK did, predictably, receive a warmer welcome, and the crowd became energized when they started. Although the two bands are set up similarly (guitar, bass, synth, drums), the Charlatans sound much more sophisticated. They mix in siren sounds, echoes, delays, and mysterious harmonica sounds that add quite a bit of texture. They sound kind of like a Diet Pepsi. Hard, yet light. Carbonated, but not completely bad for you. They also sound like a caffeine-free version of The Clash. While never sounding monotonous, some songs failed to connect with the audience. "The Road to Paradise," for example, is apparently long and boring, but by the end of the show, The Charlatans, with their lead singer drinking Diet Pepsi, rocked out almost pretty hard. It was a good show with a couple good bands who emphasize impressive sound over story and who are definitely British.
