Hot or not? It’s time for Flashion Forward, UI’s slap-happy, judgmental spin through the contents of our favorite musicians’ houses of style. Each week we pluck a recently added interview from our warehouse of current clips and try to read between the artist’s sartorial lines. Today, we’re taking Late of the Pier’s pulse.
A cursory inspection of the indie electro boys reveals little more than tepid glowsticks and silliness: Their singles, “Bathroom Gurgle” and “Fantasy Black Channel” generally sound like bad pornos or the frightening results of eating Grampa’s cooking again. BUT! Much like artists to whom they’ve been compared (Frank Zappa, Prince), under the tongue-in-cheek frippery dead-serious musical chops reside.
Their music is distinctive, mesmerizing, powerful, dark and sweet. They manage to channel everyone from Brian Eno to the Dead Kids to the Human League, while discussing suicide, basslines, forgiveness, boy toys and thrashing about quite charmingly onstage, all in the time-honored working class heroes mold of old-school British punkers.
The hair is appropriately side-swept, unkempt and colorfully hued. Clothing is optional and when it’s worn, it’s fitted, literally threadbare, with a carefree mixture of swamp and tropical tinctures. Half-serious grimaces and snarls are par for the course, as is a red-hot embrace of glorious musical excess.
Below, check out how Late of the Pier gets its jollies before live shows. Their unique perspective on the pros and cons of setting one’s shoes on fire–while it gets you energized for a big crowd, pesky flames can creep up your leg, causing undue distress and discomfort–provides important insight into these young lads’ philosophy on life.
TOPICS: Flashion Forward, Kathleen Willcox