How positively delightful. Despite all the aloofness and general arseholeness among bands on the Dublin scene, it is euphoric to find that there are still bands, or at least one band, who don’t take themselves too seriously. While the other tossers are writing songs about relationships they’ve never been in, countries they’ve never been to and the effects of drugs they’ve never taken, “Hoovers & Sledgehammers” prefer the simple things; insects that they don’t like (‘The Wasp’), Al Pacino movies (um…’Al Pacino’), and hating Christie Moore (‘That’s Animal’), although something tells me neither of them have ever boosted a car in their lives.

I’d never heard of Lube Projekt X, who played before them and I’d no inclination to find out more after listening to his display of absolute art-wankery. It was just one guy, a laptop and an electric guitar against the world. Let’s hope the world kicks the shit out of him. This didn’t set a good precedent for the rest of the evening.

My foul mood dispersed easily enough when ‘Hoovers & Sledgehammers’ took to the stage. Hoovers was equipped with a pair of extendable arms while Sledgehammers sported a duvet cover draped over him like a toga and a bandanna made out of the same fabric. A quirky little electronic track plays from a small keyboard (which turns out to be one of the few occasions that its used) causing Hoovers to dance around the stage and the floor in front, all the while throwing shapes expertly with his large upper limbs.

Following this it’s down to business if you can call it business as there’s so much fun involved. Sledgehammers takes up the bass and Hoovers goes to the drums and start to play tunes that always seem like jams but still have an air of professionalism about them nonetheless. Their songs are rather short (there would be few, if any at all, that went over two minutes) and, because its only bass and drums involved it’s simplistic as hell, but still quite rocking. Hoovers sings with a gravely Tom Waits like growl and Sledgehammers funks it up with the bass occasionally jumping up in the air which is hilarious considering what he’s wearing. Imagine a pile of blankets with a bass guitar attached being thrown into the air and you’re along the right track.

The songs fly by (I counted seventeen in the whole set) and are cheekily introduced (“This song is called Frances Bacon, and it’s about…Frances Bacon”). The titles are generally fairly self-explanatory. ‘Al Pacino’, as I mentioned before, is inspired by the legendary actor with Hoovers barking out paraphrases of Pacino quotes, while what I believe is called ‘Distorted song’ is played with a distorted bass. On two occasions Hoovers takes an acoustic guitar and adopts a thick Dublin accent and the character of a scumbag and characteristically turns the air blue with the two gems: ‘Joyridin’, and ‘That’s fuckin’ animal’.

The funniest moment for me comes when Hoovers decides to leave the stage to take a piss leaving Sledgehammers alone on the stage like a little boy lost. So what do you do when you’re abandoned by your more vocal other-half? Sing the theme tune for “Tetris”. What else?

If there’s any complaints to be made about them (and this is purely out of a need to be objective) then its that the music is possibly too simplistic, making you wonder just how long the joke can last. Also on occasion they break character and laugh at their own absurdity, which breaks the spell for us too.

Next time you get a chance, check them out. You won’t call them your new favourite band but you will tell all your friends about them and that’s what they need more than anything. It might kick they’re arse into gear to get more gigs. If you can’t, however wait, until next time they do play then go to www.hooversandsledgehammers.com and listen to some of their tunes and watch the suitably daft video for ‘Joyridin’. That’s fuckin’ animal that is.

Independent review by:-
Evil Bob