V Festival (Staffordshire) 2005
Saturday 20th to Sunday 21st August 2005Weston Park, Staffordshire, TF11 8LE, England MAP
£110 w/e (with camping) SOLD OUT, £90 w/e (no camping), £52.50 day
The Scottish five piece are comprised of a female drummer and female keyboard player, and three geezers playing bass, guitar and vocals. The result being a high adrenaline rock band who owe their style to Prince and their music to T-Rex.
Lead singer Dante Gizzi who comes across as being somewhere between Huey Morgan from the Fun Lovin Criminals and a Colombian drug baron is dressed out in a white suit and black waistcoat, looking like the bonafide rock star that everyone is aspiring to be these days. Guitarist Johnny McGlynn has gone for the Avril Lavigne look, complete with half tied tie.
Easilly one of the most entertaining bands of the entire weekend. Gizzi dances around like Dick Valentine from Electric Six, and its easy to draw comparisons with their attitude of Love Music, Have Fun, Youre at a festival.
The deliciously disco orientated bass riff of Hangin Around forces you to dance, and dance like an idiot. Gizzi twirls, star jumps and slides across the stage borrowing moves from Michael Jackson and John Travolta, stopping for only a second to capture a picture on his camera phone of the crowd.
Second single Without you has that trademark T-Rex riff, layered over another disco beat with a cracking chorus. "With out you... I dont need anybody" screeches Gizzi as bassist Thomas McNeice bends, shakes and belts out another infectious bass line.
Turn this thing around, is an album filler and is as disco as the band gets. The 80s synthesized effect is cringe worthy and probably best left to The Killers. 100 mph isnt too different from Without you, but has a great funky guitar solo to accompany the catchy riff.
El Presidente close their set with future single Rocket, sounding a bit like Queens Tie your mother down. Influences aplenty, El Presidente are certainly not the most original band on the planet. Their music is colourful, vibrant and easy to dance to. If you missed them at V they are well worth checking out, although I wouldnt recommend the album. T-Rexs greatest hits would be a safer buy.
review by: Scott Johnson