Vivian Girls at Proud Galleries in London on 14 Feb. I don't really get Proud Galleries. Here's why: the support act at this gig, Desmond And The Tutus, should be renamed Cancer And The AIDS. They really are, in my mind, that unwanted. Yet, the crowd were really receptive to the mock c. 2005 revivalist p-funk with a front man that tried (badly) to be Iggy Pop. Cringe worthy. Then, said receptive crowd cleared as quickly as a room with a shit flinging tramp at the first sight of headliners Vivian Girls. That is their loss. Vivian Girls are evidently a very good band. In fact, I am now reduced to a dribbling superlative machine when they come up in conversation. Their reverb heavy surf fuzz aesthetic and droney vocal harmonies are something to behold. As they rattle through song after song you can't help to be drawn into their slightly goofy slacker kid charms. Especially their endearing crowd participation and anti-guitar hero moves. They have stand out tracks in 'Wild Eyes', 'Sail Away', 'All The Time' and a new one (the name escapes me), but I was impressed at how little the quality slipped. Throughout the set they were propelled by a wall of treble, reverb and wholesome harmonic goodness. Fun for all the family. They kind of fit into the whole 9.98666999314159 Pitchfork zeitgeist bullshit, being from Brooklyn and all. However, their surf'n'shitgaze songs are well worth the hype. As a final flourish the band even indulged in a game of mid-song-instrument-swap which was not exactly professionally pulled off, but that is not the point. The polished rubbish that supported Vivian Girls were not worth the ink from the Girls' tattoos and it shows a bit of roughness around the edges can't hide real quality. PG Review originally published by CMU Music Network www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk