RADIO BIRDMAN
HOLY CURSE
NEUROTIC SWINGERS
Le Terminal Export, Nancy, France
September 3, 2003

WORDS: ERIC HOLY CURSE
PICTURES: DIDIER GEORGIEFF

I couldn't make it for The Neurotic Swingers, unfortunately, but I saw these guys live in Paris a couple of months ago and, believe me, they rock a lot. They quite remind me of The Heartbreakers, on the speedier side though, with that great r 'n' r attitude.

I won't comment on the Holy Curse show as I sing for them, but we tried to give the best we had. This was our 10th anniversary, our last show for 2003 and, above all, we opened for my old time favourite band. As I said we gave the best and it was a good show, alright, but sometimes the best is not enough, because...

From the very opening of "Burn my Eye" to the last chords of "More Fun" ( I think they ended up with this song ), Radio Birdman gave us a good hour-and-a-half of hi-energy rock. It was a fantastic show, with killer versions of "Anglo Girl Desire", "Non Stop Girls" ( I can't name them all ) and especially "Dark Surprise", where Rob's voice, in turn agressive and smooth, rocked the roof off.

Deniz rocks with so much energy that sweat, as a trade mark of quality, seems to have been invented for him and all the other members ( Jim on bass, Pip on Keyboards, Ron on drums and Chris Klondike on Guitar). Thsi was my dream come true. Above all, beyond the hi energy, there was a "rock 'n' roll or nothing" attitude. But these guys are also very nice, unpretentious people who make you feel comfortable and close to them. And who could ask for more?

Holy Curse with Eric on vocals.

WORDS: ROGER THE ENGINEER
PICTURES: DIDIER GEORGIEFF

I left my work at 2.30pm and burned the road until Nancy, 375km further east and no cops in sight, I finally arrived at the very same time as Holy Curse brother Eric at around 5pm for the stage set up. I took the stairs to the dressing room and stumbled into Deniz."Good to see you," he told me, with a vigorous handshake and disappeared faster than he'd appeared.

Finally, I met the rest of holy curse and stayed with to see Birdman sound check. I was a bit anxious, they weren't as they played a bit of "Crying Sun", all very relaxed and looking like regular old pals remembering their youth.

The venue wasn't that big, enough room for about 400 people, but the sound was fine, well balanced and precise. The Curse entered, did their sound check and it was time for dinner.

I came back in time for the support set by the Neurotic Swingers. They put on a good rock show, half good rock songs and half punk stuf "a la Oi ". Not totally to my taste but good to heat up the room...and nobody showed up!!! Were Radio Birdman and Holy Curse missing in action? No! They finally arrivedm a good hour late, giving the opportunity to the Neurotics to play to the crowd a little more.

I stayed a little while with Chris Masuak, showing him some of my guitars, when Deniz joined us to "blah blah" about guitars. Then I left them to assist Holy Curse brother Pascal as "Minister for Guitars" during this gig.

With a good sound, Holy Curse is simply one of the greatest rock bands from this side of this universe! I totaly believe it! Tonight was one of their best concerts ever. Some 90 percent of their songs would have been "classics" if they were Australian or from the Big Lakes Border. Well this night they really did fire! The room was hot and sweaty and people were smilling. No bad vibes here, baby! They finally ended with a strong, furious, psychedelic and very musical version of the Stooges' "I Wanna be Your Dog" that Iggy could only dream of !!!

AND NOW Radio BIRDMANNNNN!!!!

Instantly, I lost all fear that this was going to be less than sensational! "Burned my Eye", "Smith & Wesson", "Do the Pop", "I-94", "Non Stop Girls" (and the girls didn't - stop dancing, that is), "Love Kills", "Maelstorm" and "End Zone" were all dished up.

We saw 22 songs, with two encores of pure, unadulterated, high energy rock music. There are images that stay with me: Pip Hoyle stamping and jumping behind his Klavier just like if he was on the three phase main too! Ron, a very nice guy, behind his drum kit, just like he was 20 years ago, precise, powerfull and one of the cleverest drummers I've ever heard in rock!!! Chris and Deniz sharing the guitars equally, complementing each other. Mister Dickson, incredibly good at his job and Mister Younger, one of the best showmen I've ever seen! If I was a teenager in Australia around 1976, I would have spent all my nights at the Oxford Tavern.

Radio Birdman is definitively one of the best bands I ever saw. Better late than never, isn't it? And like Eric allready said, a bunch of really nice and friendly people.

Roger's Ratings:
Neurotic Swingers:
1/2
(plus an aspirin for the Oi part of the show)

Holy Curse:

5 bottles , no doubt!

Radio Birdman:

and one of pure malt, 15 years old....oh...and the last song was "You're Gonna Miss Me"...

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE NANCY SHOW HERE

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