When I’m asked what my favourite year for music was I generally go for 2003. Maybe it reflected the point I was at life where I was still a carefree student who suddenly had an income to support my album buying and gig going needs, but there was something exciting happening in the alternative music scene at that point with established bands living up to their reputations and new ones pushing through in thrilling fashion. One of those was Electric Six, whose first two singles (with a little help from Jack White) became instant indie dancefloor fillers as well as defining songs of the year. In terms of long term cultural impact, the fact that I still can’t visit a Taco Bell without the lyrics to Danger! High Voltage popping into my head shows the power of a perfect hook line.
My first encounter with the Electric Six live show came at Glasgow Green that summer. Bottom of a spectacular one day bill that included Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and PJ Harvey for a mere thirty five pounds, the hype around that first pair of singles meant the crowd assembled early in the Scottish sunshine to see the rising stars. Such was the intensity that the audience chanted for Gay Bar between songs that singer Dick Valentine was moved to clarify that having travelled across from America for the show that they wouldn’t be so stupid as to leave out their most popular song.
Whilst it wasn’t obvious at the time, Electric Six had already hit their commercial peak, with their subsequent nineteen (!) albums failing to catch alight in the same way their debut Fire had. Twenty three years later though a committed fanbase has meant that they’re still a fixture on the live circuit, returning to the Parish in Huddersfield four years since their last visit at which they laid claim to the title of Huddersfield’s Premier Party Band.
It was no surprise that the set focussed heavily on the crowd pleasing debut album, with Gay Bar and Danger! High Voltage proving to be the pillars around which the set were built. Both songs starting with their hypnotic opening guitar lines before exploding into mass singalongs of iconic lyrics. Whilst latter career songs such as Dance Epidemic and I Buy The Drugs showed enough character to stand out, too often the band’s repertoire fell back on chugging power chords with Dick Valentine’s unique vocal stylings struggling to break through.
But to focus entirely on the music misses half the joy of an Electric Six show – the between songs chatter found the perfect spot of tongue in cheek humour of an act that knows there place in the world but want to convince you that by the end of the week they may be promoted to headlining stadiums. A sense of humour has always been a critical aspect of the group, down to having the best named members for pretty much any band ever (if you’ve got this far in this review please check the Electric Six Wikipedia page for more details of those that have been and currently are in the group).
You get the feeling that Electric Six know their place in the music sphere and from the energy and enthusiasm of the individual member its clear they enjoy being on the road. Whilst there was plenty to enjoy for those who have accompanied them on their journey over the past two decades, for the casuals looking to relive the summer of 2003 there may have been too many lulls between the enormous peaks. At the end of the day though it’s always better to be a group who had two massive era defining songs than one that had none at all.
Have you seen Electric Six on their current tour? Do you agree that 2003 is a much underrated year in the history of popular music? Make sure to leave a comment below or subscribe to have notifications of more reviews drop into your e-mail inbox.
Electric Six performed:
Turquoise
Cranial Games
Rock and Roll Evacuation
The Hotel Mary Chang
Naked Pictures (of Your Mother)
Down at McDonnelzzz
The New Shampoo
Gay Bar
Gay Bar Part Two
She’s White
When I Get to the Green Building
Dirty Ball
Hot Numbers on the Telephone
Window of Time
Future Is in the Future
Improper Dancing
(Who the Hell Just) Call My Phone?
Danger! High Voltage
Synthesizer
Dance Epidemic
I Buy the Drugs
Bite Me
***
Pulling the Plug on the Party
Future Boys
Dance Commander
Alex Reviews Gigs 
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