Good Shoes Live @ The Joiners, 18/05/07

Review by Chris Waugh

"No, no, no...don't clap that! It was terrible!", pleads Good Shoes Rhys Jones after a shambolic closing performance of 'May Layonne', but despite this endearingly chaotic attempt to reward loyal fans with a few extra songs the rest of tonight's set is tighter than Beth Ditto's boob tube.

After recently returning from Europe it is a seemingly revitalized Good Shoes who stroll on stage at the Joiners tonight, bristling with so much confidence one suspects they might justify the recent hyperbole and lofty Smiths comparisons.

First and foremost Good Shoes are shaping up to be a great singles band. The album 'Think Before You Speak' contains fourteen three-minute pop gems all infused with the band's inherent, almost sentimental, small town outlook.

Like the songs, tonight's set is short and sharp. 'Never Meant to Hurt You', 'Pictures on my Wall' and 'Ice Age' are taut and angular and punchier than Liam G surrounded by paparazzi. The fact that Good Shoes possess the Long Blondes' charity shop chic minus the chic and look more like librarians than librarians becomes irrelevant when you have a guitarist as talented as Steve Leach.
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