The Trashcan Sinatras Hate Me

So back in the good old days, when I was still wearing baby doll dresses, Doc Martens, drinking 9 vodka tonics at one sitting, and stalking Eddie Vedder, a little band quietly poked its head around the corner and said hello. Then, just as quickly as they came, they left.

It was the early 90s, and the band was called the Trashcan Sinatras. They were from Scotland, which meant I was destined to love them without hearing a single note of their music. Luckily, when I did put in the disk, they didn't let me down. Lead singer Frances Reader had a voice reminiscent of Roddy Frame from Aztec Camera, and the music itself was kind of Housemartins meets The Proclaimers, which is really really weird. But it worked.

They released 2 albums, "Cake," and "I've Seen Everything" here in the States, then "A Happy Pocket" in the UK only. Then they filed for bankruptcy. Sad, sad Trashcans.

Well, they got their shiznit together and released their fourth album this year, "Weightlifting." Which, of course, means a tour to support the album, so...

Yes, that's right, they're back and... well... REALLY pissed off, apparently.

That was, without a doubt, the strangest show I have ever seen. The lead singer did admit to being hungover, but I have never seen a band less into playing in my life.

Mind you, I may be a bit jaded. That same month I had already seen Keane and Snow Patrol, two of the happiest groups of people in all the land. Tom Chaplin, Keane's singer, just kept hopping up and down, clapping his hands like the special winner he is. Gary Lightbody, Snow Patrol's frontman, jumped into the crowd and just made out with random people, he loved us so much. Well, that's a lie, but it was A LOT like that.

These guys? These guys looked like I look when my boss asks me to make copies. I'm a web designer, but whatever. Fine. It's a job, I'll make your fucking copies because I'm too much of a pussy to say no, so fuck off. But the thing is, like me with my boss, they were perfectly polite to the audience, thanking us and the whole thing. They just... my god. There was a lot of sighing and running their fingers through their hair in that exasperated kind of way - not trying to be moody, not trying to be sexy, but obviously bored, irritated, and just, well, you know.

For their first encore (and yes, they did TWO in this condition), the lead singer, and I WISH I was kidding, finished his dinner during the first half of "Obscurity Knocks" (first song off their first album, "Cake"). The kid was visibly CHEWING. And when I say 'kid,' I mean he's like 40 now.

He pushed his food into the corner of his mouth, would sing a verse, then continue chewing until the next verse. "Obscurity Knocks" is one of my favorite songs of all time, and I would have been pissed if he'd fucked it up because his damned pita bread got in the way. But no... the song was flawless and I freaked out.

If Tom Chaplin from Keane tried to eat while singing, he'd be choking to death within 5 seconds.

And it would have been one thing if it was just the lead singer. The whole BAND was irritated, standing motionless, staring at their shoes, dispassionately strumming or hitting or plunking, whatever they were doing. Yet some how, they are some of the best musicians I've ever seen. They just... welll... weren't really that into it.

Of course, they may be terrible on stage, but Frances Reader's voice is incredibly beautiful, lilting, vunerable... it sounds like water, if that's possible. It's actually gotten better with age. The musicianship is flawless. The songwriting is pure genius. They just really hated every minute they had to be up there, including their two encores.

You know, I know they've had some hard times. They know how talented they are, and they never made the big bucks. I get it. Maybe this *is* 'just a job' to them. But my GOD at least try to LOOK like you like what you're doing, ya know? Damn.

Poor kids. Really unbelievable music, though.