What does this reviewer, an oversized balalaika and the 500 people at the sold-out Leeds Cockpit have in common? They were all wearing Cheshire cat grins for the entire time that Katzenjammer were on stage. From the odd-looking 3-stringed giant bass instrument with the cheeky feline grin painted on, to the various moments in the set where several members were playing 3 instruments at the same time, they are a band with as much of a sense of absurdist fun and entertainment as sheer talent.Katzenjammer are an all-girl four-piece from Oslo who specialise in that quirky, cabaret-style brand of swing-folk that is gaining traction amongst British music lovers. With club nights such as White Mink’s Speakeasys and Itchy Feet bringing swing to the masses since the mid-noughties, it’s no surprise that the Cockpit was completely sold out. However, Katzenjammer are not simply a swing-revival band. They draw influences from artists as diverse as Danny Elfman and Django Reinhardt, and range from glittery folk punk (‘Cocktails and Ruby Slippers’) to dark, atmospheric a cappella (‘God’s Great Dust Storm’). Despite being firmly on the fringe, Katzenjammer are primarily a pop band, remaining accessible without conforming to stylistic clichés (check out ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ for their poppiest moment).
Having listened to Katzenjammer constantly since I saw them, I’ve realised that whilst their records are a great introduction to a fierce band, their live shows are the only way to really get what they’re about. To quote a friend, the albums are a slice of musical joy, whereas the live shows are more like the entire cake, if you get my drift. The set pulled no punches from the start, with ‘Demon Kitty Rag’ (a crowd favourite) second on the list. This gloriously upbeat mandolin-led gypsy shuffle was the perfect way to get people moving, and the excellent sound system at the Cockpit handled the unusual range of instruments perfectly. From this point on, the set list was clearly one that had a huge amount of thought put into it, lending the entire show a narrative feel, each member swapping lead vocals, as though portraying different characters, and shifting between light and fast pop songs, sleazy polkas and slide-guitar led blues rock.
Support from the majestically embeardened Canadian Ben Caplan was flawless, even when he pulled his own guitar lead out mid song. His honest, blackly humourous acoustic solo set is described perfectly by his website as an ‘elegant cacophony’. Highlights were an audience participation-led waltz about post-coital affection and an induced en-masse scream in order to rid the audience of any self-consciousness, both endearing the crowd to him and getting everyone in the mood for the main act. He’s certainly one to watch when he returns to the UK next year.
If you liked Katzenjammer & Ben Caplan, you’ll love this: Louis Barabbas and The Bedlam Six, Boxcar Aldous Huxley, First Aid Kit, Tom Waits