Tilly and the Wall, Live at Fibbers York
Tilly and the Wall are, as a concept, brilliant: five stylish Nebraskans, playing happy summer songs about boys and girls, with a tap dancer as percussion. This gig should have been fantastic, and, on record, many of their songs are excellent, especially ‘Bad Education’ and ‘Reckless’. Notably, these songs, available on their website, were easily the best on the night.
The Tillys started well, coming on stage chanting “T-I-L-L-Y! We don’t give a fuck!” like off-kilter cheerleaders. Despite the chanting, the show soon became sickly sweet, and, while the band themselves clearly took the tap dancing seriously, it began to feel a little gimmicky too.
When playing their best songs, Tilly and the Wall were great, and a euphoric response was evident on almost every face. However, it was a massive disappointment that a band with such potential just didn’t have enough good songs to sustain their performance.
The crowd response seemed heavily polarised, into those who fell in love with the Tillys’ tales of teenage adventure, heartbreak and cross-dressing, and those for whom the incessant sweetness became unbearable. In the end, it seemed that the people who enjoyed themselves the most were the band.
Reviewed by
Robin Seaton
18/05/06
