 | | El Presidente (photo: Emma Farrer) |
As their profile has diminished considerably since then (due in small part to a band disintegration and a revolving door policy with regard to musicians) I wouldn鈥檛 have expected them to receive much of a turnout tonight. I needn鈥檛 have worried however as whilst the venue was only three quarters full those in attendance were as devout and committed a group of followers as one could have hoped for and treated the bands every twitch like a gesture from a cult leader. First up though, we were blessed with the presence of El Presidente whose fearless display of sussed radio pop lit up the room from the moment they hit the stage. The fact that many, including myself, were unfamiliar with their curiously appealing amalgam of rock, disco, soul and the kind of funk you normally find Maroon 5 pumping out really didn鈥檛 matter as every song hit home.
 | | Cake (pic sent in by Tim Daley) |
But don鈥檛 let that Maroon 5 comment scare you, whilst El Presidente (fronted by ex GUN bassist Dante Gizzi) might draw on familiar, and sometimes hated, sounds what they do with them is so irresistible and effervescent that you can鈥檛 help but warm to them. With songs like Without You and debut single Rocket under their belts, it surely can鈥檛 be long before everyone is familiar with their riotously enjoyable ways. Finally, after what felt like an infinite soundcheck, Cake turned up to sate the desires of the fidgety but still committed audience and whilst they struggled through initial technical difficulties, pretty soon they had warmed the crowd into singalongs (Sheep go to Heaven), reckless dancing (Stickshifts and Safetybelts) and goosebumps (pretty much everything else).
 | | Cake (photo: Emma Farrer) |
Whilst there isn鈥檛 a great deal to look at on stage with the Cake live experience (a mirrorball gets one of the biggest crowd reactions of the night), what they have is wit, charm and a complete musical vision that never fails to make sense and that more than makes up for a warehouse full of scissor kicks. Their dry blend of lo-fi, country, hip hop and soul has found better commercial favour in the hands of more emotionally coruscating bands like Eels but Cake have struck upon something that truly touches people and I can only hope that they continue in this manner until they drop. | 
