If twee was a town, it might be Worcester. Ask anyone what Worcester is, and – after they’ve predictably mangled the pronunciation of the city’s name – they might mention the cathedral and cricket. The more knowledgeable might refer to the ‘Faithful City’ and therefore feed the myth that ‘the Woo’ is a place where royalist crockery clutters up kitchens and extramarital affairs never happen.
But this is, thankfully, not Worcester. How could it be when Kick the Clown exist? How could it spawn such a band if all the paving was perfectly aligned and hurting flies was strictly verboten? Talking of wee beasties, on new single ‘Plastic People’ Kick the Clown are tighter than a flea hemmed in by a microscopic vice. One of the band members insists on wearing a balaclava even when it’s warm indoors. I presume it’s due to a sensitivity to temperature and not some sort of political statement. As Irish rap complainers Kneecap have discovered, young musicians deserve more scrutiny than a newly discovered Shakespeare text or politicians responsible for an actual genocide. ‘Plastic People’ mentions people in suits “Hunting down people like me and you / Watching like vultures to see what they can steal.” Watch out, lads –that sort of political commentary might get you in bother with the people in suits.
Kick the Clown have been described as hardcore horror punks. The horror is in the subject and the beauty is in how they tell it. At a mere two minutes and 19 seconds, ‘Plastic People’ is criminally short – a bit like life, especially in Palestine. Shut your eyes just before the two-minute mark and you’ll be convinced you’re listening to Chris Cornell scream his lungs out. Vocal duties are in fact taken on by George Ormerod. Take a bow, George. Take a bow, Kick the Clown. Life is a circus but it doesn’t mean we’re laughing. Screaming will do. And amps. And lots and lots of talent.
‘Plastic People’ is out now on Spotify
By: Neil Laurenson