Faster Pussycat
Bannermans Edinburgh, 31st October 2011
'It's a sad state of affairs when you don't want to sleep with anyone in Faster Pussycat.'
Gwen, you're so right.
Around 25 years ago, Faster Pussycat were the sleaziest stars on Sunset Strip, leather-clad, lipsticked lotharios whose salacious gutter rock epitomised the sordid, sexist and (particularly if you happened to grow up in a boring village in the North West of England) super-exciting underbelly of the LA glam scene.
And now they're playing Bannermans on a Monday night. Sheesh.
I say 'they', in fact only lead singer Taime Downe remains. Once a slim, dirty-blond sexgod, he's now an NHS poster boy for the dangers of rock'n'roll excess (or possibly the dangers of giving up on rock'n'roll excess and taking up eating instead), recognisable only by his trademark shades and military cap. But once he starts to sing, it's unmistakeably Taime, the yowl of an alley cat in heat that sets the hairs on the back of your neck on end.
God, I loved the first two Faster Pussycat albums, and hearing the songs live I remember why. Oozing attitude, lascivious lyrics dripping like oil, the set is a distillation of dirty glam spirit, and suddenly it's like I'm sixteen again.
'Cathouse', 'Slip of the Tongue', 'House of Pain', 'Don't Change That Song', 'Bathroom Wall', 'Babylon' – and they even throw in their cover of Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain' and Supersuckers' 'Pretty F***ed Up'. Okay, the set's so short it's over before it's really started, with no encore, but perhaps the wisdom of years tells the band to leave while we're all still begging for more.
The most fun I've had since, ooh, Saturday or the death knell of my teenage dreams? Undecided. Either way, it all seems better with a little bit of rock'n'roll. Taime: you can change your hair, you can put on weight, but don't ever change that song.
