BAXENDALE / THE BRUNETTES
@ Barfly, London
July 2003

According to their website, this is the fifth gig of The Brunettes' UK tour. Strangely the sixth is going to be at the Barfly roughly two hours after they leave the stage here and all eight are in London. Well, I guess there's probably only one city worth trying to break in their native New Zealand as well. It seems to have worked, too judging by the rapturous welcome they receive as they amble onstage. Following dates with The Postal Service and fellow Kiwis, The Datsuns, they've already established quite a following from fans and press alike and, when they start to play, it's not hard to see why. Quite what the black-clad fans of Dolf and co made of a song called I Miss My Coochie Coo, which is all harmonies, harmonica and handclaps, is anyone's guess though. Amicable exes Heather and Jonathan share vocal duties during a set of the sweetest Antipodean indie-pop since perennial soap faves Frente. Jonathan resembles his namesake, Mr Richman, during Record Store, which features three-way la-la-la-ing to boot. End Of The Runway and Mars Loves Venus are equally essential listening at the end of another sunny summer day in the city. Next time they hit these shores though, hopefully the whole country will get to enjoy them.