24/4/2007 Shush & the Cutouts @ Tommy Flynn's

Subject
Shush & the Cutouts @ Tommy Flynn's
PostedDate
4/24/2007

I walked up to the venue and peered through the window. All I could see was a nearly empty pub and a bloke with an acoustic guitar - I've come to see two ROCK bands - surely this can't be the right place? It is the right place, so in I go. I was expecting Tommy Flyns to be just another 'Plastic Paddy' pub, but on closer inspection the 'old' decor actually appears to be genuinely old. An unspoiled pub like this seems a bit too good to be true, so I wonder if it's one of those places there everything is old - it just used to be somewhere else. Anyway, it actually seems quite a pleasant place - although the beer is very average.

The bloke with the acoustic guitar is Daniel Mulhern. His music sounds OK if you like that sort of thing, but it just passes me by. Apparently one of the bands hasn't turned up - nothing changes...

Things are running late and the Cutouts take to the stage nearly an hour late through no fault of their own. They are terrific! You'd expect the sound to be a bit rubbish in a little place like this that's obviously not set up as a music venue. The tiny PA is obviously rented or borrowed - amazingly the band sound great and the sound is really clear. This all girl punky rock 'n' roll band sound as good as they look - they have great songs and they play them well. They look natural and relaxed, but also like they are really enjoying themselves.

They are lively and have much more charisma than you'd expect from a new band playing at this level. When you see a band like this obviously having fun - you can't help having fun too. 

This is the first time I've seen Shush with their new drummer Paul. He looks familiar from somewhere - maybe lurking in Crobar or the Intrepid Fox? Anyway, he is a hard hitting and powerfull ROCK drummer - which is just what this band needs.  Shush have a well polished sound and a bunch of good songs - catchy and melodic. Milena's vocals are as smooth and polished as the rest of the band's pop/rock sound.

Both Shush and the Cutouts are too good to be playing in a small pub in Camden on a Tuesday night. Mind you - when I can see bands as good as this for a fiver I'm not complaining! 

Next band were the Piccadillys - pretty standard pub rock indie style stuff. They sounded better than they looked, but that's not saying much. The place was emptying out by the time they came on, even though there was still another band to follow. I took the hint and headed for home before the last band - not something I normally do, but with work in the morning and another gig in Camden later some sleep seemed a good idea for once.


PS: This venue is now known as The Flowerpot.