Dublin is a city saturated with musical samness; there are a multitude of bands that are so comitted to follow whatever musical formula has been proscribed to them by their influences that they may as well be a single band. Therefore an act like hoovers and sledgehammers, two strange men rapidly building up a cult following, immediately earn your attention.
On a superficial level one could pass them off as a 'zany' novelty act; bassist Igor ambling on stage in a flasher-style raincoat and handlebar mustache and songs consisting of either well directed abuse or surealistic rants. However a novelty act (at least in the negative sense they are not). The songs are delivered with a sarcastic manic sneer reminiscent of jello biafra or david yow, and the humour is cutting, well articulated and perfectly observed. Even by the end of their first song 'thats animal'; they have torn holes in the sterotyipcal dublin tracksuit's loves of random violence, unthinking hatred of the english and pulling a fast one; while at the same time lambasting self proclaimed people poets. Later songs in the all to short set are underpined by catchy cartoon baselines and thumping drum beats, with the at times the almost stream of conscousness lyrics providing social comentary, sureal diversions, and all out rants. By the time they reach the climatic screamed insult directed at bono in their final song they have laid down a maker for the other bands unfortunate enough to follow them unto the stage.
Hoovers and sledgehammers are an phenomenal live experience, their sureal aspect perfectly balanced by the edge of sharp bitter humour which prevents it slipping into the mere ridiculous. Do they mean what they say? Your fucking right. Check them out