05/12/2003
And now 'Temperature' explodes from the PA, the illegitimate offspring of REM and Oasis� and it works kinda nicely. A couple more songs into the set and bassist Martin Cole tears off his shirt. This guy is the most animated bass player I've seen in a long while; rather than digging in and punching out the bassline, he's leaping across the stage and kicking it like King Weird. He's verging on comical, but he pulls it off� just. Yet not once does he let it affect his playing - he's tight and clean and operating well against Matt Howard's backdrop of solid rhythm patterns. Guitarist Andrew Daniels completes the equation, slapping the polish onto Parifica's metal beast with his complex virtuosity.
In conclusion, Parifica are a bit of an enigma; an energetic melding of disparate styles, they're close to caricature, but manage to pull it off without sustaining casualties. Paul Batchelor's vocal is reminiscent of Mavericks frontman Raul Malo and, at times, Placebo's Brian Molko. It's obvious the guys don't take themselves too seriously and that's what makes it all work. Watch out for their debut three-track single "Temperature", now available and certainly worth a listen.
Set list: Help me out; Temperature; Glow in the dark black; Hey mister you're on fire; Little while; Everything; Free yourself ; Ordinary day; Paranoia big scream; Fighting a war.