UP IN THE ATTIC

Posted on January 30, 2007 by Contributor

Artist: Ham Sandwich" Panda Kopanda" John D"Arcy
Author: Scott Edgar

GOING UNDERGROUND "3

Ham Sandwich" Panda Kopanda" John D"Arcy
Auntie Annie"s" Belfast
23 January 2007

John D"Arcy"s band are a hell of a lot louder with Chris McCorry taking over on
guitars. I imagine old people all over Lisburn are frantically adjusting their
hearing aids on practise days" and by the sounds of tonight"s set there have
been a good few of those recently. They"re mostly the same songs that John has
been playing for the last few months but brought to life in a whole new way.
There"s a whole new confidence to the performance with the two guitarists
throwing shapes and jerky chords like they were going out of fashion. Bassist
Sedge is more noticeable tonight too" making it a band performance rather than
just one man and his backing group. "Glasgow" is one of the catchiest tunes
you"ll hear about these parts this year and if the hype is to be believed and
these guys are actually the new Snow Patrol then surely the radio friendly
"Miss You Tonight" will be the new "Chasing Cars". Only better of course"

Panda Kopanda frustrate me. Sometimes they are nothing short of awesome and put
on a show making them worthy of that "next big thing" tag that they were
lumbered with a few years ago. Sometimes though it"s all a little bit of a
chore and they look like a band who work hard at their sound but have forgotten
how to do it live. I"d like to say they have a good rapport with the crowd up in
Auntie Annie"s attic but truthfully it"s a set interrupted by in"jokes between
the band and a few mates up at the front. All your favourite Panda Kopanda
songs get an airing but the average sized audience seem a little disinterested
and eager for the headline act to do their thing. The band plug their EP"s a
few times and thankfully they seem to shift a few of them from the merch stall.
At least those lucky enough to take a CD or two home will get the chance to hear
the band at their best.

Most southern based bands find it hard to draw in a bit of a crowd in Belfast.
Ham Sandwich"s reputation precedes them though and most of tonight"s punters
have stuck around for this main event. And an event is exactly what it is"
Rock"n"Roll" stand"up comedy and fancy dress all rolled up in one tasty
package" the perfect awakening from indie slumber. The songs are loud and in
your face" no one in the band sings. They"ve too much attitude for that. They
sneer like Oasis or Skunk Anansie in their prime but juxtapose all that
aggression with a cheesey grin and a few flirtacious moves between vocalists
Niamh and Podge. At times it"s hard to take the band seriously amidst the
flurry of newspaper tickertape and Podge"s skin tight" bright red superhero
outfit. But the songs are great. No one cares that Auntie Annie"s is awash with
old cut up bits of the Irish News" no one notices they"re inadvertently staring
at a thrusting lycra"clad crotch. You"re just engrossed in the spirit of rock
and roll. As the band swig from a bottle of Buckfast on stage and I pick
newspaper pieces out of my pint it"s just like watching Ziggy Stardust and the
Yeah Yeah Yeah"s and if compliments were sandwiches that one would be a triple
decker with added mustard.

Photo Credit: Chris Semple www.medialook.tv

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