Last chance to see the Hooligans - for a while

[Wild Oscar]

The Sweet & Tender Hooligans were excellent in Manchester on Friday gone.

With only a couple of gigs left on their current UK tour, I'd recommend Smiths/Moz fans to come out in their droves (yes, I know we probably don't have droves) to see the band here.

Jose Maldonado is an excellent front-man, and (with the possible exception of Graham from The Smyths) turns in a better performance than other Smiths tribs also-rans, Other Smiths and Smiths Indeed. His 14 years of doing this shows and he's great to watch.

I felt disappointed for the band though, as the venue (downstairs at Dry Bar) was a red-hot cauldron of a basement more suited to a teenage garage-band knocking out crap in front of friends and family. If, as Jose said, the band are used to playing before 1,500 in the US, then this must have been an anti-climax for them. A couple of the band did look somewhat underwhelmed.

I don't know how it's gone down elsewhere in the UK (gigs in London, Leicester and Glasgow, i think) but I wonder if the promotion of the tour left anything to be desired. After all, I only learned of it myself a week before the gig - what chance of getting non-enthusiasts to the gig with that kind of marketing.

Or am i wrong here? Jose's passion for Smiths/Moz meant he simply had to be in Manchester on Friday 16/6, no matter what; but, playing before a bigger crowd would have been much more gratifying. And, if the Other Smiths can get 900 into the Manchester Academy (as I've been told), then I'm sure that SATH could have, with the appropriate PR.

MC

 

[Mr.Improper PIMP..mofo]

The Sweet & Tender Hooligans were excellent in Manchester on Friday gone.

With only a couple of gigs left on their current UK tour, I'd recommend Smiths/Moz fans to come out in their droves (yes, I know we probably don't have droves) to see the band here.

Jose Maldonado is an excellent front-man, and (with the possible exception of Graham from The Smyths) turns in a better performance than other Smiths tribs also-rans, Other Smiths and Smiths Indeed. His 14 years of doing this shows and he's great to watch.

I would have to disagree w/your assessment just a bit. "These Charming Men"(From Ireland), are EVERY bit as good, if not, BETTER than Jose and the boys in SATH, and the Lead singer is a whole helluva lot nicer too. I got to see them(TCM) in the states @ the Moz Convention, they kicked major ass.

I've heard some really negative things about Jose, and his "attitude" with fans. From what I'm told, he's acting like he's "better than" Morrissey and was really quite the douche to many fans at some Cali shows a while back. Shame, b/c I've always thought of them(until then), to be good blokes!. Let's hope Jose's cleaned up his act?

 

[Wild Oscar]

Hooligans + humility

I would have to disagree w/your assessment just a bit. "These Charming Men"(From Ireland), are EVERY bit as good, if not, BETTER than Jose and the boys in SATH, and the Lead singer is a whole helluva lot nicer too. I got to see them(TCM) in the states @ the Moz Convention, they kicked major ass.

I've heard some really negative things about Jose, and his "attitude" with fans. From what I'm told, he's acting like he's "better than" Morrissey and was really quite the douche to many fans at some Cali shows a while back. Shame, b/c I've always thought of them(until then), to be good blokes!. Let's hope Jose's cleaned up his act?[/QUOTE]

That's interesting - the bit about attitude, I mean. I didn't sense that in Jose at all. Yes, he's confident, but he didn't seem at all pissed off that only 60-70 showed up in Moz's home town on the big night. I think that's how I'd have felt.

On These Charming Men - sorry I overlooked them. Yes, I have heard of, but not seen them. Let's hope that, if they are to tour/visit England soon that they do a better promo job than SATH.

Cheers

 

[poprenaissance]

If, as Jose said, the band are used to playing before 1,500 in the US, then this must have been an anti-climax for them.

they may have played for 1500 before (i.e. moz convention), but in no f***ing way, shape or form are they "used to playing before 1500" in the u.s. one needs to simply look at the venues they play to realise that they are certainly inflating that number and, possibly, their egos.

no comment on the band themselves or jose. if they're talented, then that's great. just f***ing be real about it.

 

[Dupree]

Yeah, I personally thought they were great at Southampton last night. There really was hardly one there - a couple of obvious Smiths fans (me and some guy in a really cool Smiths jean jacket) dancing and singing and some teenagers who looked like they were dancing simply because someone was playing something for them to dance to. There were some guys stood at the back, you know the way they do...sort of detached and going 'I am witnessing this music and choose to process it objectively to reach an independent opinion' - I felt like going 'lighten up, dance!! This is fun. This is wicked!'.

I got there just before they went on and normally you have to buy tickets at the door but they didn't even have anyone there. On a normal night when I've gone down there the place is packed and they end up turning people away - I really couldn't understand it.

But yeah, Jose was really...well...charming! He was in a happy mood, he chatted to us all and at the end pulled a girl up on stage to dance during Ask (it should have been me, y'know!). I have to say, I saw no evidence of an ego. I think he was rather likeable.

Overall, the whole thing was really great. I'm totally glad I've seen them and thoroughly look forward to when they come back to the UK.

=)

 

[Math Tinder]

I've never had the fortune to see any tribute bands other than the Hooligans, but I have to say, Jose is a love. I've never seen him act 'better than' _anybody_. When performing, or merely when _talking_ about Morrissey, he's like a gleeful child, entranced, lost in the myth. I adore him.

Plus, Jose literally picked me up and threw me onstage at the final L.A. Wiltern gig in 2004. Seriously.

love, math+

 

[Dupree]

Plus, Jose literally picked me up and threw me onstage at the final L.A. Wiltern gig in 2004. Seriously.

That's what he did to a girl at The Joiners!! I was terribly envious. She looked absolutely delighted. He put his arm round her and they danced away, it was all rather lovely!