Alien Ant Farm / InMe

Since the early Noughties I have wanted to see Alien Ant Farm play, if it was watching the amusing 'Movies' video with Mr Miyagi, dancing to their version of 'Smooth Criminal' or smashing Steve Caballeros poor face into a wall during their song on 'Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3' (sorry Steve!). ANThology was a great album to me and an underrated album when I tried to share it in my circles. 'TruANT' was also a corker. Tonight I find myself on a last minute trip to the sodden city of York to watch this band of my youth.

InMe are just starting as we arrive, and the place looks full to me. The gig may well be listed as more of a split bill, as this band are on for nearly an hour, and have packed the place out. Their guitar skills are something else, double handed tapping from all the axemen, something to behold. From new tracks 'Hymn: Ivory Elder' (from the new trilogy including the upcoming 'Sentience' and 'Quietus'), 'Saccharine Arcadia' from the 2010 best of album and hits from debut album 'Overgrown Eden' in the shape of 'Underdose' and 'Firefly'. The crowd love them; they mostly are truly enthralled by them, and the tightknit foursome prove they can play all these intricate songs as great live as recorded. A sight to behold.

That is if you can see them. I love the layout of The Duchess in some respects... the seating area, two bars, toilets together at the back of the room... however with it's low ceilings the worst place you can have the stage is where it is. As with it's daddy Fibbers which sits below that also had low ceilings and pillars. With the design of the building this can not be helped but is a long stage and it could do with being wider. If you are not three rows deep on the barrier or crammed like a sardine down the short sides you cannot see. I am average height, short people unfortunately have no chance but I even think tall people would struggle too with how the ceiling hangs between the pillars. Such a shame. This review therefore is mainly one from what I heard, not heard and saw sadly.

The kid in me is ready to see AAF for the first time, having missed their tour last year and back in the day. What starts off as a quieter set with singer Dryden Mitchell looking for an ear plug builds into a more riotous show, with thoughts of his mother drinking in San Francisco while they play her favourite tune 'Attitude'. I'll not deny it, I miss Tye Zamora, he is an amazing bassist with an elastic face. New guy Tim Peugh does a grand job and is as animated as Tye and really pumps energy into their stage presence right form the off, but I was hoping as a bassist to get a peak at the formers bass playing. Or a peak of any of them really!

Dryden did comment about how wet the stage floor was, "She said come to the Duchess" he joked. Bit better than the York of two weeks ago that was under water ... He plays a lovely bit of acoustic guitar for 'Happy Death Day'. There are comments about when MTV had good music videos instead of the young peoples drivel they show today.

Apart from two of the three songs in the encore, 'Glow' and 'Goodbye' form the awesome 'TruANT', the entire setlist is the superb album 'ANThology' much to my delight. Like their 'Greatest Hits' album of '99, this is not a compilation of their best hits, but it did turn out in mine and many peoples opinion to be that way. Stonkers like 'Wish', '(Happy) Death Day' and 'Movies' (actually this song was on both pre-mentioned albums). Everyone seemed to already know, even though Dryden asked what songs people wanted to hear in the encore, that their heavy version of Michael Jacksons' 'Smooth Criminal' will appear at the end. As a nice topping there is a hint of the lyrics from 'Smooth Operator', originally by Sade, and quite a bit of CeCe Peniston's 'Finally' towards the end. During the solo the crowd fill in Jackson's high pitched "Whoo!" with great effect.

It's a fun show, even if it was one just for the ears and the odd glance from the sides. It was good to see so many younger folk there too.

Courage
Movies
Flesh and Bone
Whisper
Summer
Sticks and Stones
Attitude
Stranded
Wish
Calico
(Happy) Death Day
Universe

Glow
Goodbye
Smooth Criminal