2007 Live Reviews

White Trash - Berlin (August)

...The next night, the London indie-rock quartet Nemo performed two long sets at White Trash Fast Food, also in the Mitte neighborhood. Fronted by vocalist James Cook, Nemo played to a horde of young British girls who were following the band on tour and could sing along to every one of their songs. With a world-weariness reminiscent of Morrissey or Michael Stipe, Nemo’s songs like “Too Old to Die Young” and “Car Crash Eyes” made an odd combination of energetic electro rock and self-deprecating lyrics. Fortunately, their live show hardly ever let up, and the sweaty crowd was well ready for the quiet after the two encores which capped more than two hours of music...

Elliot Singer

The Cornell Daily Sun

Kufa/Krefeld (Germany)

Those four guys made up the perfect opener for a night with sexy CLIENT. With their fusion of poppy melodies, punky rhythms and bleepy electronics they hit the audience immediately and right the first song ‘Yellow sun’ - which cannot be found on the debut album - got more than just polite applause. NEMO are not just another Indie band. They are set apart from that scene with their unique and energetic electro-pop-punk-rock sounds. It is said that they are experimental as THE FAINT and accessible as THE KILLERS and after listening to their show last Friday I can say there’s some truth in it. Besides the very first song, all the other songs of the set were taken from the debut album ‘Post Human Love’. Within their influences, the guys name i.e. TALKING HEADS, DEPECHE MODE, KRAFTWERK, ULTRAVOX!, SNEAKER PIMPS, DAF or THE FAINT and indeed you can hear reminiscences to all those bands within NEMO’s music.

NEMO are retro without being really retro. They sound fresh and new. Synth sounds, distorted guitars, solid bass sounds, tight drum basement and the voice of front man James result in a very own musical cocktail which differs in a pleasant way from many other British Indie acts. The debut album ‘Post Human Love’ received lots of positive critics from the music press and after listening to the songs for the first time in my life during the gig in Krefeld I only can say: hey, they are right! That stuff rocks, is fresh and makes you wanting more. At the moment I really regret that I forgot to buy the album after the show. ;)

After the second song ‘Rescue the revolution’ the set continued with ‘Piccadilly in Sepia’ what the band dedicated to their home country. Next song ‘Rpt2fade’ presented sounds that also could emanate DEPCHE MODE’s pen. With ‘Lifespan’ the Punk offensive entered the hall while afterwards the current single and epic dark electro rock song ‘Car Crash Eyes’ with its pure pop chorus was presented. As singer James told us, this song was an ode to all those internet groupies. With ‘Living Room’ and ‘Clones’ a much too short set of about thirty minutes ended and the band was released with excited applause what they really deserved because all four guys are competent musicians playing their instruments with flair.

While the band sounds a bit like they were coming from the good old eighties, they guys also looked like they were sprung out off the good old era - curly haired singer James wore a black stylish Jacket, bass player Milan a black and white stripes shirt and a black collar, guitar player Key wore a black leather jacket during the whole set even though it was quite warm and drummer Section Q was clothed just in black jeans an shirt. I read somewhere that someone said singer James looks like “young JOHN FOXX in a wig” - haha, well back in the 80s again I’d say! ;) I must admit that I never had heard of this band before that evening and I was positively surprised by the energy the band – and especially singer James - brought on stage from the first second.

All guys – except the drummer who was bound behind his instrument – were moving around at stage a lot, changing instruments as it is the most natural in the world – Key was playing guitar, small keyboard and providing backing vocals, Milan was changing between bass and keyboard and singer James was presenting vocals as well as playing keys from time to time. But James was not only changing between singing and playing keys, he also jumped around at stage during the more energetic moments which was quite exciting. Yeah, so much energy took its toll and so, the sweat was running down James’ face. But hey, who cares when a show has to be done? ;) It was really astonishing how his voice still sounded with so much effort – still it was strong and carried you away over the mesh of electronics and guitar sounds. After this exciting show I only can say, go and watch them yourself. They’re worth it and they’re brilliant!

Daniela Vorndran

www.reflectionsofdarkness.com

Metro 2nd March

Nemo are a band I have been wanting to see for months, and now that I have, I'm finding it hard to describe the experience. Let's say that there is very little in this world that I delight in so much as watching beautiful people make good music. And that Nemo are very beautiful people, and by christ their music is good. Their guitarist looks like young John Foxx in a wig, and James Cook appears to be some kind of genetic project to create the perfect man out of satin, cream and Leo Sayer. They are all extremely competent musicians who play their own instruments with flair and pass around a tiny Korg synth like they were born playing it - with the exception of the drummer, who was landlocked but flawless throughout the set.

I only knew two of their songs - the new single 'Car Crash Eyes', which was given a new dimension of electricity by their frenetic performance, and the sublime 'Piccadilly In Sepia' - but the next time I see them, and there will be a next time, I will remember just about every line. Nemo are one of those bands that sear their artwork into your brain, that stamp the lyrics into your skin over and over and over again until you feel like you've been watching them all your life. James has an amazingly strong voice that carries easily over the mesh of electronics and guitars behind him, and performs with that kind of crazed jerky desperation I expect from all my indie vocalists and so very rarely get. Wide staring eyes and sweat-sheened skin made him appear utterly unworldly as he and his guitarist sang their way through song after song that, fundamentally, I want to hear again.

Which is all you can ask for, really. Go and see them. They're brilliant.

kittensounds

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