The Kills - keeping the mean streak on

The Kills’ second album, due out in few weeks, ‘No Wow’ is erroneously titled! They certainly demonstrate the opposite, either on record or live! VV and Hotel, delivered their minimal sounding set that moved deeply, stirred spirits and animated limbs last night in London. Just the two of them manage to conjure up such magic onstage you wonder why more people don’t attempt it?

Good thing, on second thought, because it would otherwise make them less precious. The Kills are a duo that knows all the secrets of the showbiz and plays on its stereotypes. With rhythm basis provided by drum-machine, the twosome use minimal lighting - mainly behind them - but giving enough illumination to enjoy the finer, and ironic, points of the show.

No physically exuberant show but that is irrelevant here because a simple gesture of facing mikes turns common experience in a tender moment of intimacy or guitar ‘solo’ is fired over her private part while she is bent backwards… Even delivering vocal from a platform… There is little talk apart from wishing us a ‘Happy Chinese New Year’.

Clad in preppy-like gear (he) and rock-chick jean-couture (she), there is an air of timelessness here that is punctuated by the two of them being like latter-day Sonny & Cher lost in a blues land that is enigmatically futuristic. The Kills’ handle primal as well as - let’s utilize another cliché - post-rockist with elegant ease.

Opening with the title track of the new album, they travel it as much as visiting tracks from the debut ‘Keep On Your Mean Side’ that blends into a repertoire they play with two guitars at times. Otherwise, although Hotel is sharing vocals, VV is fronting with a mix of the 1960s French chanteuse looks [Francois Hardy-esque?], ice-queeny appeal [Nico-like during the Velvet Underground period] and as poptastic as Debbie Harry in Blondie heyday whilst remaining resolutely own woman.

Their minimal sound is being infused with more funkiness and ‘The Good Ones’ should quieten all comparisons with The White Stripes. [Or the rocking out ‘Sweet Cloud’…] These two duos, although blues inspired, can’t be more different inasmuch that The Stripes are less limited with live drumming [some would argue the point, no doubt] whilst The Kills explore wider sonicscape with tendency for less poppy tunes but punk-rockier tracks.

Minimal also means succinct in the Kills’ case and, alike the new album - lasting about 40 minutes - the main set clocks in at 45 minutes. For the opening encore their perform brand new track, for the first time ever, that could have been called ‘Evil Dunce’.

The Kills’ music may be minimal but provides an extra-large enjoyment. A taste of La Dolce Vita in cold Camden.