Tag Archives: Robert Moutrey

CROCODILES: Night And Day Cafe. 14th October 2016

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I feel I use my holiday allowance from work wisely-to go see bands. Sure I could save up and have a proper holiday, but seeing as my passport has just ran out and I don’t have the money to renew it, I go for sensible options such as going to different cities here to see my favourite bands. Friday night was no exception.

It’s not a lot, but Friday was my tenth time seeing Crocodiles. From finding their debut record by accident to this. I can’t think of any other band I could admire and respect as much as this. Easily the hardest working and most dedicated bunch of people I’ve ever met, and it truly comes through in their music, and in their shows.

This Friday (21st) sees the release of their new record, Dreamless. It picks up where Boys left off and takes you into another direction, again. The fact that none of their records sound the same makes them easy to just love and never shy away from having them on repeat. Their live shows are addictive and I think a lot of the time it can be to do with the crowd. I’ve seen them mainly in London but I’ve always found Manchester crowds to be the best. Not just for their shows, but in general. Night And Day is the perfect place to see Crocodiles. It’s just the right size and the atmosphere is how you imagine it should be when you see a band you love. I marked the occasion by, when leaving the venue, taking the poster of the gig from a board outside. I’ll get a frame for it, because I’m that sentimental.

The set is a solid mix of all albums. All of them make you leave the show feeling as if you should pick up an instrument and make your own noise. If you watch Charlie and you leave not wanting to play the guitar, then you missed the point entirely. They’re the band you need to see when everything seems a bit askew. Songs from the new record sound amazing live, and for purely personal reasons my highlight was Telepathic Lover. It’s not only my favourite song of the year but when I first heard it a few months ago, I knew instantly that it was my favourite song by them. The lyrics are ones I hold very close to me and helped with a lot upon hearing it. I owe them for that.

Songs like I Wanna Kill and Neon Jesus are always a pleasure to see live. Mirrors always unleashes a gentle but stirring rage inside.But for me, it’s their cover of Jet Boy Jet Girl that does it. Accompanied with an intro by Charlie, “this is from 1970 fuck you.” 

And just like that, it’s all over. Here’s to another ten shows and beyond. If someone told me to pick just one band to see live for the rest of time, I would easily pick Crocodiles. There’s something about them that makes me feel like I’m not in this lifetime. I love watching each of them on stage because each of them have this magnetic quality about them. They make it all look so easy. So effortlessly cool, it’s like Lou Reed has come back to life with Joey Ramone in tow. They take everything I love about music and make something that I’ve never heard before. As they take us on a journey through each of their records, you can’t help but wonder why they are so underrated? I have no idea why but it’s obvious how hard-working they are, and how loved they are by those at the show.

As mentioned, Dreamless is out this Friday. Buy it, learn the words and I’ll see you at the front.

CROCODILES- LONDON FIELDS BREWERY. 11TH OCTOBER 2014.

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With every review of Crocs I write, I always say the same thing. I always say how bloody great they are, and as someone who is rarely right- with this, I know it to be true. They are probably the best band I’ve seen live and are bloody lovely guys.

Last night they played as part of the Hackney Wonderland. I paid £10 just to see them and didn’t go see anyone else. Maybe that was foolish, but my girlfriend and I went to have pizza. As an Italian, I can’t turn down pizza. Also living right near the venue is always good!

If you’ve ever been to see Crocodiles in London you will have probably seen the guest of honor and all round brilliant guy, Omar. Omar stole the show at the end, but more of that later. He should be their hypeman. Shouting abuse at the crowd to get them moving. If you’re not moving at a Crocs show, then something is wrong with you. They aren’t a band you stand still to. No way pal.

Crocs treat us to some new songs off their new record, and judging by how good they sounded live I am confident again with declaring their new record to be the best thing to happen in 2015. The last new song they did in the set was my favourite. No idea of song names, but this one was my favourite. Crocs are one of those rare bands that sound better and different with each release. Summer Of Hate is the record that owns a large part of my heart, but each of their records just proves how marvelous they are.  Severely underrated, but the best ones usually are. Of all the times I’ve seen them, last night was possibly the best and it could be down to the magnificent stage invasion at the end to I Wanna Kill.

Personally the best moment for me was them playing Summer Of Hate. I can’t remember if I’ve seen them do it before, but last night felt like it was the first time. It’s my favourite song by them,and if you’ve ever seen a band you love play your favourite song by them live you will understand what that moment means. You don’t feel as if anyone else is around you, and you’re completely and utterly immersed in the moment. It’s a beautiful feeling and maybe, just maybe you haven’t lived until you’ve experienced it.

They opened their set with the anthem for perverts, Marquis de Sade. An anthem you’ve just got to sing a long to. Also, if you read a Marquis de Sade book on public transport, people don’t want to sit near you. It’s brilliant. He was also a fantastic and twisted writer that you need to read. His mind was obscure and perverse, and wonderful. If you don’t like conventional things, go read his work.

The last two songs were insane. They did their cover of Jet Boy Jet Girl (which I am so happy they now play) and were joined by the majestic Omar on vocals. When he isn’t yelling “ASS CLOWN” at Brandon, you can find him near the front loving life. Crocs ended their set with I Wanna Kill which was greeted with a beautiful stage invasion. It was a glorious state of chaos, and every band should do this. I don’t care who you are, you should let your fans get on stage with you and belt out a song. This bit in the set pretty much showed how much they are loved and how their fans really appreciate it when they come to town. In an ideal world I would have the funds to go to a full tour and write words like above about it. They aren’t a band you see just once and that’s it. They’re a band that you have to keep on seeing because the atmosphere at their shows is something else. They are one of the few bands that make me want to just write about music forever. It annoys me how underrated they are, but last night truly showed how loved they are and those that watched them know just how brilliant they are.

Each of them are bloody mesmerising to watch. Charlie flings his guitar about and holds it like a machine gun, Robert beats the living shit out the drums in a glorious fashion, their bassist David (he’s in Hatcham Social, a band I fell in love with at uni many moons ago!) seems to be in a trance as he plays and you fall into it also, Brandon’s voice creates this atmosphere in the room that takes you back in time. I can’t (but will always try to) emphasise enough just how bloody great they are. And also, they are the most loveliest and kind guys you’ll ever meet. I bloody well owe them.

Anyway, obligatory photo with BW and CR :

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CROCODILES: Live.

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Initially I was going to write about Crocodiles two live shows this weekends in separate posts (London and Bedford) but after seeing them live three times this month (they supported Dum Dum Girls) the only thing for me to do is to write about their live shows. I’m writing this after throwing up this morning (I’ve had too much fun this weekend) and from being woken up by my dickhead neighbour playing The 1975 so loud. There’s no need to play them that loud, or really, at all.

Crocodiles are probably the most exciting bands to see live. If you want to go to a show where you leave covered in your sweat, more than likely someone elses and the urge to start a band afterwards; then they are the band you need to see. I’ve been a fan since 2009. I wasn’t aware of them or their previous bands, but I picked up Summer Of Hate because I loved the front cover. It looked a bit strange, so I bought the only copy in the shop, went home and played it. I played it almost religiously. On the same day I bought Cold Cave’s Love Comes Close. Both records came into my life at a time where I needed something I was missing, I’m not sure what but I’ve always found the answer in music. Summer Of Hate had a beautiful raucous feel it, the kind of sound that you can really let go to.

BW and his maracas.

BW and his maracas.

What I’ve notice each time I see Crocodiles live is that everybody in audience just loses it. From swaying their bodies in a weird fashion (myself included) to going completely nuts during I Wanna Kill; their fans at their shows are awesome. Of course their London shows tend to be slightly more wild when the beloved Omar turns up, and you can usually find him near the front of the stage making fun of his pals on stage. He just seems like a really cool guy. Last night’s show in Bedford was probably the best show I’ve seen of theirs. When I spoke to Brandon after their show, he said they were more used to playing venues like this. Esquires is a broken-in venue that holds a lot of history. Apparently it used to be a church, and now it is a sanctuary for live music. Last night’s crowd seemed a little more tame compared to a typical London crowd and a lot of the women last night were dressed up wearing shoes that aren’t made for dancing. The crowd at Bedford cannot be faulted at all. There aren’t really any dickheads that attend a Crocodiles show, which is good because there’s usually one person who likes to ruin it for everyone else.

Their set list currently has Billy Speed, Hollow Hollow Eyes and Jet Boy Jet Girl; finally seeing these songs live is brilliant but I will never grow tired of watching Robert go absolutely crazy on Refuse Angels or watching them all seem to fall into their own world during Me And My Machine Gun. One thing Brandon and Charlie have managed to do is shut up critics/idiots who labelled them as rip-offs of The Jesus And Mary Chain, but as someone who obviously loves both bands, I really cannot hear the comparisons at all. It’s just lazy journalism really, and as you listen to their records you cannot find a band to compare them to- which is one of the many reasons as to why I love their music.

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Crocodiles are a band made for sweaty and intimate venues; venues where you can really soak up the atmosphere and feel like your part of something. I’ve said it many times before, but Crocodiles are easily one of the few bands I would happily watch for the rest of time. They’re just everything I love about music, and their live shows is everything a live show should be.  They are a band that need to be seen live even if it is just for the energy they have. You know something special is about to happen when Brandon gets his maracas out! It doesn’t matter where you see Crocs, just know you’ll be in for a mind-blowing time.

The first time I saw them live was in 2012 at Rough Trade; a half hour set was evidently not enough for me so my tally is now up to six times seeing them. Each show is better than the last, but don’t just take my word for it. Each of them are mesmerising to watch; the way Charlie flings his guitar about and plays with such fury is enthralling to watch. If I was a teenager in the prime of my youth seeing them live, I’d leave with a strong desire to start a band. Instead I’m just a 27-year-old who really loves this bloody band. They make you really care about music. They make you want to spend hours in your local record store just looking for that next thing that moves you. They make you want to spend the rest of your life just writing about music and being totally immersed in it.

Off stage they are the most genuine and lovely people I’ve had the privilege of meeting. After last night’s show I didn’t feel I was hanging out with a band I love, but with friends instead. There’s no ego, and that’s what make them fucking awesome. So this is for Crocodiles and their music and to their kindness this weekend. Until next time! (Oh and please always have Virals support because they’re one of the strongest bands in this country right now.)

Last night after the show.

Last night after the show.

And of course this happened:

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