Rogues, Barfly, 28th October. Pic by Louise Roberts.

Ever wondered what happened to the the cast of the Lost Boys? Expensive haircuts, cool shoes and feathery earrings all feature when Rogues hit the stage. Hell, the bassist is called Frog and frontman/guitarist Sam James even looks like Corey Feldman. Welcome to 1987, leave all preconceptions at the door.

The following review appears in the latest edition of London’s premier music ‘zine, London Tour Dates.

New song MerryGoRound hooked most of the Barfly from the off here on a cold, snowy night at Levi’s Ones to Watch. Synthy opening chimes let you know Duran Duran influence more than just the Harrow lads’ fashion sense. A to-die-for chorus and excellent use of the word ‘yeah’ complete the effect nicely. If you closed your eyes you could imagine Tubbs and Crockett driving down some humid highway, probably off to buy a new suit — pink, short rolled sleeves of course.

In these times of don’t-give-a-toss ignorance, Rogues, like fellow youth rockers Caimbo, show a daring level of musicianship that belies their years. ‘Not So Pretty’ and new song ‘Bad Blood’, both wonderfully flippant, were dispatched tightly & not since Sharleen Spiteri first graced the airwaves have I seen a battered & taped Telecaster ruled so well. Why Rogues are still unsigned is a mystery, they even have a fantastic sticksman who sure knows the right way to use a cowbell. If there were any justice in this world, he could just silence all those nasty drummer jokes.

A final word to those who want more: like a lot of new bands these days, the sound on Rogues’ web site doesn’t do ’em justice. Having first seen them live and then gone webside the quality factor is all the more stark. Forget MySpace and go see ’em live.


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