CityLife

Pull Yourself Together + Napoleon IIIrd + Little My

THE Star and Garter provides the venue for the first gig presented by Pull Yourself Together, a new monthly club night and fanzine based in Northern Quarter bar Common, complete with a suitably eclectic bill.

Perhaps the most twee band that have ever existed, Cardiff’s Little My are an eight-strong collective who play uplifting folk ditties wearing furry animal hats whilst using instruments like the glockenspiel, which immediately means things could go one of two ways; thankfully, the charming melodies and total lack of pretension make for an enjoyable set.

The sense of fun is extended to the band themselves, who smile their way through the set with abandon. Only the constant swapping of instruments and ‘mooching around’ between songs grates slightly, being a little bit on the shambolic side. But even this, like the majority of their songs, is endearing nonetheless.

Headliner Napoleon IIIrd completes proceedings with a tour-de-force of bafflingly original and totally brilliant avant-garde pop.

Although playing primarily with a guitar, Napoleon is armed with a host of instruments and gadgets that play samples, loops and noises, essentially making him the best one-man band you’ve ever seen.

Even more impressive is the music itself, which is startling and often beyond mere categorisation, though at its core it is fantastic, multi-layered, inventive pop, dispatched with some aplomb.

The highlight is Hit Schmooze for Me, a wonderful slice of progressive pop and one of the greatest tunes to rally against mind-numbingly dull day jobs you’ll ever hear.

Encouragingly, this is just the start, both for Napoleon IIIrd and Pull Yourself Together.

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