Art Brut at The Plug

All around pop music is descending into chaos. Smash Hits has closed, X Factor doesn't pull in the numbers and most importantly Top of the Pops is gone. Tonight many of the audience are part of a rebellion, a revenge against pop music and everything it stands for. Pop has moved on, forget Top of the Pops ('we've discussed this, its Top of the Pops 2 now", Eddie comments) and in the words of Eddie Argos, popular culture no longer applies.
The backlash is Art Brut, the small tidal wave brewing underground waiting for the ultimate moment to distinguish itself from 'popular culture' as the movement slowly takes hold of the last Top of the Pops generation.
Chants of the chart show even echo as the defiantly ridiculous Pink Grease rise to a home crowd and manage to completely bewilder their audience. Jumping and screeching the band's looks are hard to be believed. The keyboardist pulls out a saxophone, simply to make the unruly racket it was not created for as the bleach blonde lead singer scales the walls like a fashionista Jack Skellington. Behind him the large synth battles to keep its player standing as they bash through their latest single 'Alien.'
And its obvious as Eddie Argos strides onstage, ‘Back in Black’ rocking in the background, that Art Brut are definitely the cult hit of the year. Eddie looms over his audience dressed as the quintessential gentleman. Suit, tie and a ridiculously pale face there are chants of 'Eddie Eddie Eddie, oy, oy, oy!' as he narrates through 'Formed A Band' and from then on it all turns into a show, pantomime even as Eddie transforms from gentleman to rock and roll hero.
There are no breaks with Art Brut, no reflecting song where you can go get a beer, no tuning or moments of rest. Every song turns into another rolling over and over with Eddie preaching to his followers below him. 'Save energy- start a band!' is his first of the night only to be followed with 'if you're thinking about an ex girlfriend or boyfriend, stop it! It will only come back to haunt you' as he starts Emily Kane. Members of the crowd throw shirts at the stage as Eddie runs into the crowd, lost in a sea of hands and sweaty bodies (he emerges moments later half dressed.)
In fact Eddie can't stop preaching, narrating everything on stage ('we have two songs left, there will be no encore') but not to the fans sweating it out at the front no, he's looking beyond this targeting the people at the back tapping their foot as he lists all the countries where ‘Good Weekend’ got to number one (its every country that doesn't have Top of the Pops) while the crowd end up yelling 'Top of the Pops!' as he is carried out of the room, with only one sock remaining on his feet.


So forget Robbie Williams, and Lil Chris, Eddie Argos is responsible for making pop credible again. These teenagers are angry and ready for the backlash. They've taken America and now its Art Brut's time to be Top of the Pops, who said pop music was dead?