- by Peter McDonald
1.
On the 28th of May this year, I saw possibly the most exciting band in England supporting Le Tigre at the Nottingham Social.
They were (still are) called Valerie, and seeing them play was a total revelation.
They were Riot Grrl personified, with a sense of humour as well; lead singer/stylophonist constantly talking with her audience ("any of you lot seen Brookside recently?") and bursting into a deranged and glorious butchering of 'Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding throught the glen, yadda, yadda, yadda. Elvis (drummer) fucking up the end of a song and nobody caring. Vix (guitar, backing vocals) taking over lead vocals for one song with slightly hazy lyrics (she later admitted: "that one was originally called 'Wouldn't It Be Great If We Supported Le Tigre'… We thought we ought to change the words…"). They sang about Mariella Frostrup's voice and Tokyo Girls.
No bass = an English Slater-Kinney? Possibly, but it would be Slater-Kinney pumped full of amphetamines and espresso.
Do we have a female Ian Svenonius in Jo-Lean? Sorta. But I doubt Jo-Lean is going to force you to read unreadable Marxist tracts whilst you play her more than listenable records.
2.
The point was that everything was perfect. Not perfect in that they didn't play a wrong note (I mean - name a decent band that ever played a right note); but perfect because of their intense heart&body&soul devotion to something so seemingly meaningless as pleasing a group of drunken people waiting for Le Tigre. They were bursting with such a confidence (that definitely hid the fact that they had only been gigging for three weeks); they knew they were it on that stage, and I knew it too.
I managed to get to the front with a sweet young semi-gothic couple who I ended up pogoing with, and trying to persuade to invade the stage with me, whilst thinking: 'I could do this'. Which is why, for me, Valerie were such a mind bending experience. They were one of us, doing things we like to think about doing but don't actually do - their existence was almost begging the question, "So, c'mon, what's your excuse for not being up here?". And any band, writer, artist, that can achieve that, anyone who can give that sense of empowerment to other people, anyone who can, in short make other people that happy surely deserves to be recognised as being something special.
Elvis? Didn't he kinda, die or summat? Wrong Elvis! Valerie's drummer is a retro cool dressed to kill lunatic with a damned good rythmn. Any similarities with Elvis are when you would still like to fuck him, before he got all fat and ugly, obviously.
Female guitarist? Reminds me of Ash… Ash are small and twatty, though. Valerie's guitar sound is controlled and thrashed out by Vix. Vix is the female guitarist for females, rather than some 'token' girl in a boy world. (Anyway, Rock needs more estrogen, before we all choke on Nickleback or summat!)
3.
I got to talk with the band, and their incredibly cool manager and incredibly sweet designer after show. These people are all 4 Real, to borrow a phrase from the increasingly irrelevant 20th century. There is a genuine interest in people here, not money and fame (though, hell knows, they deserve it!). They are based in Manchester, and if you ever get the opportunity, I urge you to see them while you can, people like this aren't always so easy to find.
They gave me a glimpse into what it is, to see a young band fresh on the so called scene, energetic and desperate.
These girls all come from Manchester right? So shouldn't they all sound like Liam Gallagher and look like Mark E Smith? I hope you're joking! In case you didn't realise, music tends not to be affected by Geography, anyway - if it was, Valerie would come from Washington, DC, though.
I don't believe in your review. It is too one sided. Are you being paid, or what? Fuck you! This is the Genuine Article, if you don't like me actually trying to tell the truth for a change ('cos I know I stream a right load of cock most of the time), emotionally n'that, go buy the ENEMEE. Anyway, I know you've done worse things than take a bribe before…
OK, let's not go there… I believe in you! That's better.
4.
And so, whenever I talk about people who inspire me, musically speaking, I can talk about the Beatles, and Richey era Manics, and argue over Joy Division's best single and name drop about the Make Up/Nation of Ulysses, etc, etc, etc. If I'm being honest, then Valerie are the band who have made the biggest impression on me to date.
I waited about a month before writing this to make sure that this adoration of a band wasn't just self created hype born out of too much adrenaline and soggy gin-soaked memories. But it's about a month and I still feel the same way. I'm sure now I believe what I'm saying.
This is an open love letter to a band who made me feel passionate in a way I hardly ever even come close to feeling. I felt a complete and utter adoration for this band then, and I'm not far off feeling that now. Valerie deserve to go far, and I hope they do, and I hope you're there with me.
(PS: Le Tigre were awesome as well, but you knew they would be without me telling you that. Much better than Valerie. Sorry girls. Ah well, rough with the smooth…)
(PPS: In fact the only bad point about that night was that after the show when LT were chatting to everyone there I found myself shouting down the ear of Kathleen Hanna in an excitable and frankly, embarrassing way, which means I have shamed myself in front of a teenage idol. Ah, well, rough with the smooth…)
OK, I'm interested in hearing more about Valerie! How though? I can't find them on Q magazine's website anywhere… You won't find Valerie on Q magazine's website. Didn't you read all the above? They're good! Try www.switchflicker.com.
And this 7" you mentioned? Not, presumably, in HMV? Not even close. Write nicely to valerieband@hotmail.com.
Cheers! How's life? 'Salright. Going on holiday soon.
Oh right… Hob-Nob? Don't mind if I do…
Peter McDonald - Live! In The Caffine Bunker, June 2002