Ariel Pink + ANR + Weird Era || MCR Academy 3 || 18/05/11

Better other half, with Ariel Pink and snuggling men

“I saw Haunted Graffitti live the other night, Ariel got off stage and made out with me, me being a straight man….Ariel….Pink of all people.”
Joyorder77 (youtube)

Ariel’s cute as a button ain’t he? how could this pint sized pop genius not make you smile? 2002′s House Arrest was in my head before I had even heard it, it’s simply that perfect for me! I contest you not to love a song that contains the line “pop music is fun just like cherry coke”. Then you get around to watching the videos for huge bedroom made hits such as ‘Politely Declined‘, ‘Are You Gonna Look After My Boys?‘ and the classic ‘Gray Sunset’… hook, line and sinker.

Ariel Pink – Politely Declined

Anywhooooo, me and my better other half meet up with Samuel Henry Scenewipe to begin what will be our first horrific threeway date, however we all run late as;

a) better other half takes longer to get ready than was first expected

b) Samuel has been filming what by all accounts was an enthralling interview with Frank Turner regarding Black flag…an odd excuse to be late for a first date but one we both accept… it seems feasible i suppose.

So having arrived and booked in we proceed to take drinks in the student union bar, which I haven’t come to pass in years and has now been re-fitted to look like some kind of Ikea Hollyoaks fusion S & M dungeon. The kids seem to dig it regardless… I’m glad for them… they are happy.

Now with their happy vibes nicely rubbed off on our merry little threesome, we make our way upstairs. I forgot what a terrifying disregard for health and safety those stairs are! I’m no health and safety jobsworth but they’re about as safe as shooting speedballs into your mainline. Ok stairs navigated….check, two hapless looking security guards on the door…check. I remember this venue now, real corporate sponsored music venue, the type of unobtrusive room to watch fat balding men play speed metal whilst getting soaked in cheap but strangely expensive lager, LOVE IT!

The kid from The Social Network (Social Network fame) & Mark Owen (Take That fame) aka ANR

Having already missed first band on, local noise blasters Weird Era, we arrive to catch the last two songs of ANR’s set, the last being a cover of Sonic Youth’s “Schizophrenia” which rocks because Sonic Youth’s “Schizophrenia” rocks! Who would of thought that Mark Owen (Take That fame) and the kid from The Social Network (Social Network fame) knew each other as well as playing in a drum, synth, harmony two piece? I for one certainly didn’t, but on hearing, sadly, just the two songs, i’m glad they do.

Time for a quick toilet break and bar run before Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti bitch! In the urinal I notice a poster for some studenty, green, recycling meeting thing which some absolute comedy genius has graffitied with the immortal line “stop printing posters then” – genius. I arrive back to find that Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti bitch! are all on stage setting up… Wow! Ariel’s so tiny, he’s like a little pop action figure.

Now, I’ve been worrying all day about two things, one being how slick will it all be? Two, will they play old stuff? as soon as Ariel starts talking in alien tongue and tells the joke, “why couldn’t the crack addict cross the road? because he was on crack” I know all is good. By the second song in, the ever majestic ‘Helen’, which sounds much like what I imagine Brian Wilson’s brain to sound like during the lost years, I’m sold. At around 3/4 of the way through ‘Helen’ I decide that this was to be the happiest point of my life and the biggest dumbest smile takes to my face.

Ariel Pink, thinking up some songs

Things start to get deep by ‘Ocean of Weep’ (one of the prettiest tunes I’ve ever heard) people’s eyes closed, now swaying like goths. I can’t stop laughing at Ariel, he just looks so freakin’ happy to be playing his songs to people… jeez, you sometimes forget how much fun music can be. They kind of remind me of what I imagine one of those fictional bands from A Clockwork Orange would be like; five absolute cartoon characters playing droning kraut rock/lo-fi pop/psych-funk, which if you know me is heaven (17).

Digression over and Ariel is now rocking the mic with the amazing german dude that supported Chain and the Gang the previous evening. – on chatting to amazing German dude I realise that he probably isn’t German and that I couldn’t understand what either his real name or his stage name was as his accent was so thick (he seemed to be happy that I had enjoyed his set though). Amazing german dude doesn’t seem to know the lyrics to ‘Round and Round‘ though, so Ariel jumps into the crowd, has a wander, then fails to get back on the stage, thanks to a few helpful souls he succeeds though.

http://soundcloud.com/theharro/ariel-pinks-haunted-graffiti-round-and-round

Ariel Pink – Round and Round

Ariel continues to play the bedroom rockstar whilst seemingly more than happy to leave the mundane job of actually making the music to the other guys, the other guys by the by are slick enough to make the music seem as if it could fall apart at any moment… which I tip my hat off to… how do you actually play some of those tunes?… it’s beyond me.

Anyway I have had enough of writing now its 3:06am and I’m out of alcohol so I will sum it all up into nice easy bullet points, that’s the kind of considerate guy I am…no need to thank me….honestly… just get me a drink in sometime.

(I cant find bullet points on my keyboard so i’m using asterix’ instead)

*Ariel Pinks haunted graffiti is not for everyone.

*Ariel Pinks haunted graffiti makes me insanely happy.

*If you’re gonna try and cop off with a member of the band, don’t go first row centre stage and throw water bottles at them to try and gain their attention…it just isn’t the done thing. I find a tit flash will usually suffice.

*Don’t it make you happy that people like Ariel Pink exist and are actually getting attention for once?

Better other half, with Ariel Pink and snuggling men