Francois/The Steadies/The Darlings

Event information

HDIF Presents XV
Francois/The Steadies/The Darlings
Thursday November 9th
The Windmill, Blenheim Gardens, Brixton
8pm-late, £5

Francois
Handclaps? Check. Melodica? Check. Recorder? Check. Awkward, exuberant dancing? Check. Bookish boys with library tans singing “I’m so glad I met you” to that special someone (ie, bookish girls with health food store tans)? Check. Francois certainly come from a recognised indie lineage – and yet their ramshackle mix of toy town electronica and loose-limbed Modern Lovers style is utterly charming and quietly ambitious. As is their French singer, Francois, who has the air of a future indie pop icon about him.

The Steadies
A demo wrapped in purple and white paper is pressed into our hands at HDIF at The Phoenix. The morning after is a fragile one - in fact, it's more like the afternoon after. Still feeling rather tender, we slip the CD into the player - and, ahhhh, just what we needed. Utterly gorgeous indiepop songs, with hints of Nick Drake, Belle & Sebastian and every loveable acoustic dreamer going.

The Darlings
How do you get a gig at HDIF Presents? Simple. Just go to the club, month in month out, dancing away with your pals, become a friend and welcome face, always on hand with spot-on requests and the odd sarcastic comment, get utterly drunk and announce that you're in a band but you haven't got many songs yet - et voila, you'll be booked on the spot, whereupon you'll bounce around, making high pitched "wheeeeee" noises. What do The Darlings sound like? We haven't a clue. But it'll be fun finding out.

More info at http://www.howdoesitfeel.co.uk