The Point 3/05/07

Euros Childs seems to come from a place strangely untouched by the passing whims of fashion.  Taking the stage with hair a cat loving middle-aged lady might consider a little bushy and an oversized smock of a blue T-shirt hiding what little of him isn't already eclipsed by his hair, he seemed far more concerned with observing the changing seasons of the Pembrokeshire coastline than Paris fashion houses.

This is, of course, irrelevant, but it does seem to suggest a mindset that worked to excellent effect on opener 'Bore Da!' (also the name of Euros' album released on the same day): a musical postcard from the mythical day Chas and Dave spend mushroom picking in West Wales, complete with a bouncy, melodic knees up of a verse and chorus and gently paranoid, introspective, choral outro reminiscent of 'Surf's Up' era Beach Boys.

 Again, the shamelessly punning 'Costa Rita': a bossa nova pastiche celebrated the summer romance of a peanut vendor and ice-cream seller, and Euros' affecting knack for a melody, rather than any currently vogue musical trend.

However, not all the set  had the same melodic punch as these tracks. At times it seemed less a celebration of music detached from fashion, and more like rooting unsuccessfully around the shelves of dusty second hand record store, as one track blended forgettably into the next. Perhaps inevitably, the band failed to make too much of an impression on the evening, serving to back up rather than embellish Euros' songs in a fairly workmanlike manner - unfortunately lacking the sense of a cohesive band that Gorky's Zygotic Mynci had. They only seemed to come to life on the epic rendition of 'Billy the Seagull' - from Stranglers-eque electric organ intro to intricate choral harmonies and enactment of their uncanny ability to mimic the sound of church bells - appropriate in this converted church.

The band necessarily got more involved on the rockier numbers - which highlighted the strange, seemingly Welsh predilection for chugging Status Quo/'I get around' Beach Boys style pop-rock (maybe influenced by the 60's/70's Welsh language rock of the Sain Records compilation released last year, 'Welsh Rare Beat'), such as the thumbs-in-denim-waistband strut of 'Cwtsh'. This was an enjoyably giddy ode to a nice hug, but unfortunately surpassed in similar territory by Gorky's 'Poodle Rockin''.

It was a night of endearing whimsy, and Euros remains a charismatic and beguiling (he was an elusive presence onstage, and typical song topics included supermarket special offers and the simple pleasure of wearing sandals with no socks) frontman. At his best he is charming (for example, when miming hand actions along to a country-pop song about the seaside - 'Ar Lan Y Môr) and the songs crackle with timeless pop melodies, but the move to solo artist seems to have left him a little lacking in edge.

By Robin Wilkinson