Alfie

A V2001 warm up show, and Alfie are quite taken by the number that have flocked down for this evening's gig in Leicester. 'We weren't expecting so many people to turn up, so any requests?'. It's this understatement that makes Alfie so endearing, almost charming. Lee Gorton, having now sent his infamous stool to rest, saunters around the stage, nodding and chugging on one of many cigarettes.

Opener, and new b-side 'The Reverse Midas Touch' opens proceedings with its eighties styley keyboard riff, and uber-cool swave mutterings by guitarist Ian Smith. As Gorton muses over the top and the riff continues, it has Alfie written all over it. 'We wrote that one for a laugh' smirks Gorton. It must be a hell of a lot of fun being in this band.

More well known tracks 'Just About The Weather' and 'Umlaut' are delivered, oozing with fragility and a loosely defined structure. Fans favourite 'Cloudly Lemonade, receives an expected warm response. Alfie's sound is so whimsically acoustic, relaxed, mellow but could never be described as cliched or boring.

Other new material is aired, the punch that is 'Summer Lanes' is harder faster, but barely hard nor particularly fast. You can only understand once you've heard.

Concluding on another new one, 'Chords', Gorton tries to round the crowd up into a frenzy, yearning for some audience movement, and despite attempts by a minority, it really isn't particularly fitting.

Overall, Alfie are a very unique and talented group who deserve so much more. Perhaps, in time, they will receive what they richly deserve. For now however, let's be happy we have them to ourselves.