13.12.08

Captain Dangerous
Rock City
Friday 12th December

A Petebox-less We Show Up On Radar is, sadly, not much of a draw. It has to be said that, without the local beatboxing MC, WSUOR's live show leaves a lot to be desired and a synthless, beatless Andy Wright - tonight alone and thoroughly impatient with a half-attentive basement crowd - can only manage a short, muted and ill-tempered support set. It's a shame, because when the shaggy haired Oberst-alike actually manages to cut through the haze of chatter with which he's faced, tracks like 'Animal Sports Day' and 'The Little Things I've Lost' retain their Seawolf-esque dreaminess in spite of the band's depleted line-up. Tonight, Wright struggles and it's a missed opportunity for an otherwise solid amiable singer-songwriter.

With an impromptu 'ahem' into the microphone, the Beeb's Dean Jackson introduces tonight's headliners to the stage and Captain Dangerous launch into the kitchen-sink aplomb of album opener 'The Terrorist'. For the hardened fans (of which there seem many) it's a set of few surprises, yet five years of consistent gigging has made them tighter than ever and with guests entering and exiting throughout, they're a formidable bunch - at times, there're anything up to seven people onstage. Despite this they continue to hold their own even without the bells and whistles. Their set's a ragtag selection of folk, ska and reggae but tracks like the skanking 'Terry Steele' and the hushed acoustics of 'Merrow Song' play off each other perfectly and with such a varied palette, their album 'The House That Jack Hayter Built' - out next March - looks an exciting prospect.


Captain Dangerous played:

  • The Terrorist
  • She Still Loves You
  • A Little Bit Of Home
  • I Miss You Cos It's Monday
  • I Admit Defeat
  • Shoot Deserters
  • The Ballad Of Phillip
  • Terry Steele
  • Merrow Song
  • Boozehounds
  • Other Man
  • Kill That Greek

    www.myspace.com/captaindangerous
    www.myspace.com/wsuor

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