Sass and spice

(Morning Star, Friday 06 October 2006)

LIVE: The Pipettes, Spring & Airbrake, Belfast

KIRSTIE MAY experiences The Pipettes and discovers a girl band all set to redress pop's historical imbalance.

A TRIO of angel-voiced singers dressed in identically patterned outfits takes to the stage.

Despite their diminutive size, they belt out top pop hits and whip the attendant crowd into a frenzy.

Ladies and gents, meet The Pipettes - Gwenno, RiotBecki and Rosie.

The idea of harmonising girl groups may have gone out with the ark, after all, we've had Joplin rocking out, and choking on her own puke, PJ Harvey giving it the raw sex appeal and Lily Allen whacking anyone who doesn't move fast enough.

But there's been a gap all along. Since the days of the Ronettes, the Velvettes and the Shirelles, the spirit of togetherness that a girl group offers, and the unmistakable popness of it all has been lost.

But the Pipettes have decided to redress the pop history imbalance - and how.

Support tonight is a terrifying experience, coming as it does from one of the Pip's actual band, a curious fellow named Monster Bobby.

There's little of the monster about him, but certainly a rumbling horror in his drum machine, which seems to be reacting violently against poor Bobby and all that he's trying to do.

But from the second the band burst onstage, all monstrous thoughts are dispelled. The girls, complete with matching dance moves, romp through the best of the album, from the tremendous Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me and One Night Stand, through new track Baby Don't Leave Me. With genuine banter from a thoroughly nice band, the Spring and Airbrake seems to shed its dour grime and explode in a bright pop light, all polka dots and flowers.

The assembled crowd react very strongly to the antics onstage, cheering and chatting with cheeky Gwenno and sweet Becki.

When new single Judy comes on, there's a general squeal of delight and the faithful mouth along to every word of a song which has long since been a Radio 2 favourite.

The best thing about The Pipettes is their ability to take the spirit of Spector and add their own sprinkle of sass and spice. There's rarely a lyric on show which doesn't demand a smile, from Judy's "I never said anything to her face, cuz my friends thought she'd kick my arse all over the place" to the closer, and total highlight, I Love a Boy in Uniform. "I Love a Boy in Uniform (school uniform)."

The Pipettes' deceptive innocence covers up the fact that they can be a bit dirty, but, when it sounds this good, even your dad would agree that they've taken the spirit of something fabulous and infused it with a new life.

Top hit Pull Shapes gets the best dance moves of the night, but there's never been a pertinent observation than the lyrics of their very own theme tune, We Are The Pipettes. "We are the Pipettes/And we've got no regrets/If you haven't noticed yet/We're the prettiest girls you've ever met." Too true.