More or less as soon as I arrived in London in February 2003, I was scanning Time Out for every opportunity to go out and see gigs, films, plays, whatever. Living on Phipp Street, I went to The Spitz early on, just because it was nearby. And Melys were playing — I'd heard of them on John Peel, even though I wasn't a big fan (they turned out to be good live).
At that time, too, I ran an email list that I press-ganged everyone I knew in London to join, as well as old Sheffield mates, to let them know what I was doing (and enjoy their envy). This was so that I could further press-gang them to coming to the some of the same events as me. It didn't work very often, but I went anyway. Here's what I wrote to my email list on 27 March 2003:
I think J & A maybe enjoyed the Kronos Quartet more than I did last Friday. Perhaps I am failing to grow up, but I preferred the angsty energy of Saturday's no nonsense three-bands-for-a-fiver gig at the Spitz. Especially exciting to see another great support band of whom I'd never heard previously — music is still alive. Coin-op are fronted by a singer/guitarist/keyboardist who performs like Keith Emerson meets Iggy Pop; and looks like Beck meets Aladdin Sane. The sound is Roxy Music (1st album) meets Mudhoney. This is high praise. I bought their album at the show: the title — "friendly fire" — didn't seem quite as uncanny all those days ago as it does now. Visit http://www.coin-opmusic.com for news; and, Sheffielders, you can see them on Thursday — today! — supporting Inspiral Carpets at the Octagon.
I wanted to attribute such exciting new discoveries to being in London. When I dug a bit deeper I found that Coin-Op had played in Sheffield a few months before, and had recorded a Peel session, so I could just have well have discovered them a year before. But I was too jaded then, and London refreshed me. I had so much energy those first few months. I was out six nights a week. That's how I remember it, anyway.
I still like this mini-album. It zips along, packing eight tracks into less than 25 minutes. You could say that sound like all those other indie bands, from Maximo Park to the Kaiser Chiefs, but I'd have to disagree with you.
I'd assumed that Coin-Op were no more, like the proverbial parrot, but apparently they played another support slot in London just ten days ago. No sign of any new releases in the five years since Friendly Fire came out, but the Coin-Op Myspace page has some new songs, and I like them.
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