Doll and the Kicks // The Providence Pub

Photos by Mary Rhiannon Pryce

Doll and the Kicks: the lead singer is as cute as a doll, and the band certainly kick ass, enough so to take away from the fact that we were in the Providence – one of the few true dives left in Brighton. O yes sticky carpets to boot.

Doll and the Kicks have been knocking around since their days at Brighton Uni in 2005, which seems to have been the place for breeding amazing musicians and K heads in fairly equal numbers. Right at this moment, we catch them teetering on what seems to the brink of stardom; having seen them quite a few times over the last year, they have grown into the stars they truly are so if you squinted your eyes they could have been rocking the Astoria rather than the Brighton/Hove border’s mecca for football fans and cheap sausage and mash.

While it’s hard to pigeon hole Doll and the Kicks , to convey this to an audience one must try. They are raw and passionate, hot and cool, sexy and punky and certainly kooky. I guess kooky is the only word that can truly describe Hannah, front woman/pixie, who is so mesmerising by firstly her voice, then her sexy style and amazing eyes, which express the huge amount of passion she puts into the lyrics and the songs. I challenge anyone to watch her sing “If You Care” without holding back the tears. It’s a break up song that gets you right in the stomach and makes Mariah Carey’s dulcet warbling pale into insignificance.

Comparisons to Gwen Stafani, Rosin Murphy and Kate Bush have been drawn in the past but with the back up of a tight, close-knit band, Hannah creates dynamic electro pop that drew the crowds at Beachdown and blessed them with a keen admirer in the form of the ultimate northern misery guts (though one can’t deny an epic artist) Morrissey. The BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury offered Dolls and the Kicks the chance to rock out to a wider audience to much critical acclaim, but it seems the band are justifiably picky about the direction they will be taking next.

Catching up with Matt Garity (guitar) outside Waitrose the morning following their gig, he filled us in about their studio time up at the Levellers’ place Metway Studio, an infamous local hangout for many great local artists, including Phil Hartnoll (Orbital). Explaining that his days are busy laying tracks and filling in some hours at Inkfish, we get an insight into the reality of rock, roll and “Good afternoon sir, how is your broadband?”.

Doll and the Kicks’ debut album will eventually be the fruits of this well grafted labour, and on the night, we were treated to a couple of new tracks chopped in with some well-showcased ballads. The fans were out tonight, with many a doe-eyed man mumbling along to the the high-pitched lyrics.

The band rocked the stage on fire: Olivier thrashing his buoyant fro, kept tight by Chris on the skins. The final act on an evening of local talent, they are always a pleasure to see close up – although I have to admit, I only made it to see them.

I feel that fame and fortune are peeping from just round the corner – its not going to be long before Brighton gets another notch on its bedpost of kooky cool offerings to the rest of the world. Photos by Mary Pryce