Rhian Daly reports on Boy Kill Boy - Barfly, Cambridge 15 Nov 2007

Artist Visiting Cambridgeshire
Upstairs in The Graduate is the newly refurbished venue now owned by Barfly. My first venture into the subject of much discussion locally is one fuelled by curiosity and excitement. In my opinion, a Barfly venue in Cambridge can only be a good thing, and so I skip up the stairs and into the show hoping my view will remain the same when I descend.

Local band The Cougars open up tonight's show with their brand of Libertines-inspired indie. There's a stage presence and magnetism to this group that makes them impossible to take your eyes off of, and hints at a bright future for them too. Following this thoroughly enjoyable set is Haunts, a heavier affair than the Cougars, but equally as fun. Songs such as Live Fast Die Young and Low Slung City Skylines are fightpop at is best, with distinctive vocals and punchy bass lines.

Boy Kill Boy first emerged in 2005, producing indie dance floor classics Suzie and Civil Sin before releasing a much overlooked album and then seemingly disappearing off the face of the earth. But now they're back, having recorded a new LP, to be released next year, and writing more pop hits that will be stuck in your head in the coming months. Tonight's set list is a perfect mix of old and new, the fresh tracks blending in seamlessly with those that have already been released. New single No Conversation and the aggressive Be Somebody show Boy Kill Boy haven't wandered from the formula used on debut album Civilian too much, but then, as the saying goes, if it ain't broke, why fix it? On and On and Friday Friday prove to be favourites of the night, as well as new tracks Paris and Rosie's on Fire getting good reactions from the crowd. They may not write songs to save your life but Boy Kill Boy do know how to make it fun and sometimes that's all you need.

Writer: Rhian Daly