大象传媒

It's every drummer's fantasy - just one man and his kit. Jeremy Hickey, the Choice Prize nominated artiste responsible for tonight's music, has a screen behind him projecting images of the rest of his "band" a la Gorillaz. Initially it's a joy as these ghostly disconnected, disconcerting guitarists and bassists augment his beats with New York post-punk bluesy funk.

It's like White Stripes or Cold War Kids have gone off reservation, with the swampiness of the Pop Group. But the question is - once you get past the gimmick, is there enough there? 听Well, for a while there is, but the pre-recorded, pre-destined nature of it makes it feel more like a recreation of what has happened previously than a fresh live performance. You could even argue that if you strip away the credibility, it's only a short step from the pre-packaged pop acts that we bemoan. But that would be churlish, because I don't see Britney banging out this sort of afrobeat influenced funk, nor is she likely to include what appears to be a didgeridoo.

The biggest praise of his shows comes off the back of festival appearances, when our heads may be a little melted as we crave for a little diversion. In the city however, his set-up invites unflattering comparisons with the likes of Simple Kid, arguably Jape, Foy Vance, and the aforementioned Joseph Arthur. And that's before we consider the universe of dance music where there are plenty of good A/V artists and DJs. Harsh it may be, but he doesn't seem to grasp the opportunity afforded to him by technology to escape from the constraints of a band.

Words: William Johnston
Pic: Rarely Seen Above Ground myspace