Hot Leg's Hot Press

Channel M session 4.3.09

March 4, 2009

After the demise of The Darkness, I wondered if the golden throat of Justin Hawkins would ever be heard again. Thankfully that answer is Hot Leg. Hot Leg is not as immediately funny as The Darkness was, but perhaps I just don’t find that style of musical as comical anymore. But they rock like the debut Darkness album, harder even while adopting the production expertise (but not the overproduction) of the second Darkness album. If you love ’80’s glam, you’ll LOVE this.

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Hot Leg – Red Light Fever

March 3, 2009

tags: Disc Reviews

Hot Leg – Red Light Fever

Details: 2009, Barbecue Rock, CD

The merits or otherwise of Justin Hawkins seem to divide the rock fraternity however, as someone who appreciated both of the albums he delivered whilst leading The Darkness I’ve been waiting to see what direction his post-Darkness outfit would take. The songs heard on various radio stations haven’t exactly been enticing, and I can definitely do without the image which seems purposely more outrageous than ever, but surely a man who’s first album was the soundtrack to a summer and who’s second was better than many would believe would turn out something of interest now he’s in sole control of the ship?

Well, its something of a yes, no and maybe from me. Appreciating that he’s has made some attempts to distance Hot Leg’s sound from that of his old band I none-the-less make no apologies in comparing this to The Darkness’ output, given that it’s the reason I have interest in “Hot Leg”, but in short this album just doesn’t consistently hit the spot like “Permission To Land” and probably leans a little too far for my liking towards the dodgy, chart oriented singles that marred the occasionally excellent “One Way Ticket To Hell… And Back”.

On the positive side though there are still flashes of brilliance such as the excellent “Trojan Guitar”. A clever song that sells Hawkins’ songwriting talent through a series of styles, with more than a nod to Queen evident. From a hint of Celtic jig, through quieter acoustic sections to over the top cod-operatic pieces good, and some good hard rock its one of those songs that really, only Hawkins does these days and on this occasion he does it extremely well. Also standing out greatly for me is the later number “Prima Donna” which, like the old Darkness live opener “Bareback”, hints at some Quo-appreciation and also possesses a lyric that has a bit of an edge to it. Of course, the falsetto vocals won’t be to everyone’s liking but in the right context, and not overdone, they are a part of what makes Hawkins and hence Hot Leg unique.

The negative side though are when those vocals, and the musical bells and whistles that seem to go with it, are simply overdone. Track one, “Chickens” is one such number. So over the top that the decent, AC/DC-ish riff of “You Can’t Hurt Me Anymore” that follows (a definite relation to “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” by the way) initially seems a better track than it really is. The awful, far too over-busy “Gay In The 80’s” is another song that seems to exist to challenge your patience level and reinforce the “we’re more outrageous than The Darkness message”, whilst another poor, ill-conceived idea to also get the “miss” is that songs’ predecessor “Cocktails”. Rating Hawkins as a very clever lyricist at times I can appreciate the British seaside postcard humour in songs like final number “Kissing In The Wind”, and indeed earlier career efforts like “Growing On Me” and “Holding My Own”. But the man who celebrated getting “Bell End” into a Christmas song a few years back falls from funny to simply crass on “Cocktails” which seems merely an exercise in how many times the band can sing the word “cock”. Maybe I’m just too old? 14 years olds will surely appreciate this?

Of the other tracks “Whichever Way You Wanna Give It” is okay but surely wouldn’t have made it onto a b-side a few years back. “Ashamed” is another decent song that again proves Hawkins’ capable of delivering a decent, message delivering lyric within a three minute slice potentially chart bothering pop-rock whilst the catchy “I’ve Met Jesus” is a bit of a grower I’ll admit… but I’m not sure for how long. And that really sums up the album. It’s got it’s moments, indeed a couple of really outstanding ones, but, I fear, a limited shelf-life.

Of the three albums that have featured the considerable talents of Justin Hawkins this rates the third best by some way. Funnily enough that might ultimately weigh in his favour. If this disappears as quickly as it should the pressure will be off and Hot Leg can build, unwatched by mainstream media and unhindered by expectations toward a better follow up. One that consistently delivers to the levels Hawkins has proven capable of in the past.

Most reviews I’ve read are saying you’ll either love or hate “Hot Leg”. On the evidence offered in “Red Light Fever”, I’m still undecided…

Highlight: Prima Donna

Score: 2.5/5

rockofages

Justin’s Hot Legging it back to Midlands

March 3, 2009

tags: Interviews

Hot leg - Justin Hawkins Ian Harvey talks to former Darkness singer Justin Hawkins as he prepares to unleash his new band Hot Leg on the Midlands.

Imagine a group like The Darkness but even more so . . . welcome to the world of Justin Hawkins’ new band Hot Leg.

Spinal Tap famously turned their amps up to 11 for maximum rock effect but even that is not enough for “the Leg”.

“I don’t think a mere numerical value can contain us,” insists the singer.

Three years out of rehab for drink and drug addiction, Hawkins is raring to go with Hot Leg’s first album, Red Light Fever, a collection of songs he says are the strongest he’s ever written.

Midland fans have a chance to check out the four-piece when they play Birmingham’s o2 Academy this Monday, March 9. Tickets are £10.

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Fans got their first look at Hawkins’ new band last August when they played just their second-ever gig at Birmingham Barfly and found a tight rock outfit blasting out those trademark falsetto shrieks, striking completely bonkers rock poses and sporting a rather fetching set of matching headbands.

It was all deliberately low key (in Darkness terms anyway). There wasn’t a sequinned catsuit in sight, with Hawkins instead sporting tiger stripe jeans, a blond, shaggy head of hair and bright orange nail polish.

So as Hot Leg unleash what Hawkins is calling “man rock” on the world, does he agree that Hot Leg are “more Darkness” than The Darkness were?

Justin Hawkins at Birmingham Barfly “Maybe The Darkness weren’t quite as Hot Leg as Hot Leg are,” he replies cryptically, before adding: “We’re just out to do the biggest, loudest rock we can do really, although we have got a few mega ballads as well. We’re just trying to put the songs across in the biggest way that we can.”

Red Light Fever opens with Chickens, a song that’s like Queen and Sparks colliding in an explosion of flamboyant falsettos.

Other highlights include the stuttering Cocktails, Gay In The Eighties, I’ve Met Jesus and the quite brilliant Ashamed, an all-out attack on the vacuous nature of reality TV shows like Big Brother, X-Factor and Fame Academy, with lyrics that simply can’t be reproduced here.

“It’s not the sort of thing that anyone can really deny though, is it?,” laughs Hawkins about the thrust of Ashamed.

When we chat, Hawkins is buzzing in the afterglow of the first night of the 2009 Hot Leg tour, their first gig since the release of the album last month.

“We played Belfast yesterday. Now the album’s out and people know the songs it’s just a real thrill – and not the kind of thrill I’ve experienced for a few years really – to hear people singing it back to us.

“It was a very moving time and it really gave us a bit more of a boost. It really felt like our first proper show as a real band. It felt like we went up a gear and we hope it continues.”

Following Hawkin’s Twitter feed that certainly seems to be the case, with the singer delighted at the reaction to the band as the tour progresses.

But he has no regrets about going on the road last year before the album’s release and road-testing the new songs to an audience who didn’t know quite what to expect.

“It’s the only way to do it,” he says. “It was challenging last year. It was really obvious that it was the right thing to do but it didn’t make it easy. It’s really hard work but it’s rewarding.

“Even Darkness fans have taken a bit of winning over to some extent, but once they hear the songs I think it makes a big difference because I’m sure they’re the strongest ones I’ve ever written.”

Hot Leg strike a 'man rock' pose When I say his mission seems to be to paint a smile on the face of rock, he replies: “Pretty much yeah, but you make me sound like The Joker!”

And what about “man rock” – is it just about dreaming up a wacky name, dressing up outrageously, striking a big pose and making as much noise as possible?

“There’s a bit more to it than that,” Hawkins replies. “There’s a genuine distillation of all that it is being a man and and an interpretation of manhood which, primarily, is enjoyed by women.

“The majority of our fanbase are attractive ladies, which is absolutely bizarre, I’ve never experienced anything like it.

“The Darkness had a real cross-section of enthusiasts of all age ranges and both genders – and some in between – and Hot Leg is at the moment mostly beautiful women, which is awesome.

“Women enjoy it more than anybody. Our hardcore fanbase is women and men who really are at ease with their sexuality and unbelievably manly and not afraid to let their hair down.”

After Hawkins’ well-publicised time in rehab there were many who thought he might return a chastened, quieter, paler version of himself.

“I’m a healthier version,” he insists, “. . . and more tanned!

“I’m happier, healthier and more focussed. I’m concentrating more on my playing for a start. I’m a much better guitarist than I used to be and I’ve surrounded myself with people who are sensitive to my predicament and who don’t drink in front of me, and understand that it’s a clean touring environment.

“It’s a really fun, focussed project to be involved in and that’s how music should be . . . about the music.”

Justin Hawkins and guitarist Pete Rinaldi. Of course, not everyone “gets” Hawkins, The Darkness or Hot Leg. Those who like their rock mean, moody and po-faced have little time for bands who rock with tongues firmly in their cheek, as Hot Leg found out on an ill-fated support slot with Alter Bridge late last year, roundly booed by fans of the headliners.

“It wasn’t upsetting though,” says Hawkins. “I’ve experienced it many times before as a support band. It was quite a good challenge, and we changed one of the sing-backs to ‘Boo’ and ‘We hate you’, so even though they were booing us they were taking part in the show and not computing because people who boo at shows are just morons.”

There’s little chance of that at Birmingham on Monday. And one particular fan is likely to be making as much noise as any after playing a starring role at the Barfly gig in August.

“That was the day we got Rita Peachie, the, er, mature lady, on the stage,” says Hawkins.

“She sends me letters from time to time, we’re kind of pen pals. She wrote a letter to the venue saying that she’d like to meet us and was really happy that I was back, so we decided to get her up.

“She is possibly one of our most mature fans. We’re hoping she’ll bring a few friends in case it’s not well attended!”

See the official Hot Leg website http://teamhotleg.com and listen to then at their MySpace page www.myspace.com/hotleg

www.expressandstar.com

Guitarist Diaries: Hot Leg @ Bristol Fleece, 02/03/2009

March 3, 2009

tags: Live Reviews

“Our album went into the charts… at number 81”

Justin Hawkins is officially an underdog again.

And it suits him tonight. As he points out from the stage in endearingly heroic defiance, his band Hot Leg are even selling t-shirts on the merch stand emblazoned with ‘Man Rock’ on the front (their description for their brand of the devil’s music) and the number 81 on the back.

They’ve won me over already.

I was a big fan of Justin’s former band The Darkness. I still am. Some people seem to look at me in a slightly peculiar way when I say that but I’m unapologetic. It especially annoys me when people describe them as a ‘joke band.’ For me that suggests they didn’t really care about the quality of the music they made. But I think The Darkness tapped into something special about classic British rock. They had some excellent songs and I loved the guitar playing – it’s just a shame it ended too soon.

So now the Hawkins brothers are split between two bands – guitarist Dan Hawkins is in Stone Gods (who I’ve seen twice live now) and Justin fronts Hot Leg.

This is my first experience of Man Rock in the live setting.

I wasn’t sure who would turn up tonight – so many people seem to be dismissive of his former band, while Stone Gods seem to be winning round the people who didn’t like the ‘silly’ side of The Darkness or/with the vocals. The Fleece looks sold out tonight though, even on a rainy Monday, with obviously a fair share of curious people.

So you can assume from their recently released debut album Red Light Fever, Hot Leg take the fun side of The Darkness and run with it tonight – but the standard of musicians and songwriting in this band is no joke.

Headbands are clearly mandatory for Hot Leg members, along with eyeliner and a drum solo from Darby Todd at the end of the first song. But my attention is immediately on the guitars – and if you love guitar solos this was the gig for you. These boys can really play.

Launching into Ashamed and the super-catchy I’ve Met Jesus, Hot Leg are a more intense proposition in the live setting but can clearly do the complexities of the debut album justice – especially on the epic tale of Trojan Guitar. We already know Justin is an excellent lead player but it’s his foil Pete Rinaldi that steals the show – he’s clearly been given a license for extensive, frenzied fretboard action in the band.

Think a Bumblefoot and Buckethead-flavoured tapping banquet, with bluesy shred thrown in for good measure. But Pete does it all without even breaking a sweat. He’s really a joy to behold. There’s a brilliant camaraderie between him and Justin as they duel like it’s their last nigh on earth on Trojan Guitar and they even make Gay In The Eighties – a song I wasn’t keen on from the album – more palatable with some guitar heroics.

So big solos, glam image and stigma from the past: this is a band who are the antidote to self-conscious cool. But they simply don’t give a shit about it. They play with a commitment to the power of rock that’s enjoyable to witness.

For You Can’t Hurt Me Anymore, the sound mix suddenly improves; it’s as if the soundman has woken up and pressed the right button. But it’s also the song itself – a showcase for Hawkins’ strengths as a superlative pop rock songwriter. If the Darkness had made a third album there’s little doubt this would have featured on it. And the hooks sounds even stronger in the live setting. Ditto for Chicken, with its hilarious falsetto chorus – pulled off admirably by Justin and Pete.

Next up is what Hawkins calls the ‘Love Bubble’ section – three ballads back to back. It’s a bit of a stumbling block for crowd moral but the first of the trio, Kissing In The Wind is an excellent song with classic Aerosmithian dynamics. The other two – the album outtake Come Into My Arms and another unnamed song seem a little overkill back to back. A joke too far perhaps. Nevertheless there’s some guitar heroics from Pete and the mainman to savour.

Then things really step up a gear.

Justin invites a well-built, shirtless man from the crowd called Danny onto the stage to dance while they storm through the gloriously catchy and very Darkness-esque Whichever Way You Wanna Give It.

The crowd loves it and they loosen up considerably, so much the band invite another crowd member (who bizarrely has almost identical red, bouffant curly hair as the first) to shake his stuff onstage. The two of them dancing intensely on either side of the Fleece’s stage makes for a bizarre spectacle. Then Justin is carried on the shoulders of his tech for an extended solo in Cocktails (after introducing this current single’s chances of chart success with more endearing self-depreciation) and walks back across the bar in full shred mode. It’s just the kind of spectacle a Monday night gig crowd needs.

So it’s little surprise when they chant the band’s name for an encore of their theme song We Are Hot Leg (unfortunately not included on the album), which goes down a storm. Then, as is often the way for me with gigs in the city, I have to leave to catch the train home. So I miss the end, but I’m convinced by what I see of Mr Hawkins and his crew tonight. My faith in him is affirmed – he’s essentially the same frontman as he was in stadiums, the same vision for celebratory rock is still there. But for all Hot Leg’s solos and flash they are the definition of punk rock in other ways – they’re staying true to themselves in the face of adversity. It’s up to you whether you want to join in the fun.

Posted by Robert Laing
Tuesday March 03, 2009

www.guitarist.co.uk

Hot Rock Acts Claim Stage Again

March 3, 2009

tags: Articles, Live Dates

Not so long ago Justin Hawkins was packing out enormo-domes across the world as the charismatic, if misguided, lead singer with retro pomp rock chart toppers The Darkness.

A dangerous drug habit and reliance on the mega star’s crutch of choice – alcohol – served as the catalyst for the band’s demise but these days Hawkins is sober and starting over.

New band Hot Leg entered the album charts with Red Light Fever at a modest 81 last month and headlining Newcastle’s 02 Academy II is a far cry from the heydays of arena sell-outs.

But Hawkins has lost none of the verve and vivacity which made him such an endearing individual first time around.

“People are going to look at the chart position and ask whether I’m disappointed because of where I once was,” says Hawkins. “But it’s not disappointing at all.

“In fact we’re getting T-shirts printed for the tour with 81 splashed across them.

“The music from 1981 is probably the closest to what Hot Leg does anyway so it’s really quite fitting.”

Tickets are still on sale for Hot Leg’s gig at Newcastle’s O2 Academy on Friday, March 6.

Full article at www.journallive.co.uk

Live Videos – Bristol Fleece 2.3.09

March 3, 2009

tags: Live Video

Posted on youtube by Miraclethezombiefish

Sezzles

American Dates

March 2, 2009

tags: Announcements, Live Dates

The Leg are playing at Austin’s SXSW festival with a show on the 20th March at Stubbs BBQ. On the 21st March the Leg will play twice; at The Mean Eyed Cat in the afternoon and later at Emo’s.

Then, the Leg will take an aeroplane to Los Angeles for a music concert on the 24th March at The Viper Room on Sunset Strip.

REVIEW : HOTLEG @ The Village

March 2, 2009

tags: Live Reviews

REVIEW : HOTLEG @ The Village

By dionsis • March 2, 2009

I headed down to the village friday just gone to see Justin Hawkins and his new band HotLeg. Ive heard a few of their songs before through their myspace and having been a fan of the darkness in their time thought it would be worth a gander to see Justin take out his Axe and throw out some rocking riffs.

I arrived just as the support band “The Crave” were starting their set. They rattled through an array of catchy rocky type songs which felt strongly influences by The Atari’s. Being a fan of The Atari’s i actually enjoyed their set and really felt for them as the place was pretty sparse on people at this point. The Crave put on a good show and had some good songs but they deserved a better crowd than they got as it seems that anyone coming for hotleg was leaving it last minute to show up.

After the Crave Finished up i went to the bar and had a chat with a friend about them, picked up their CD and before i knew it Hotleg were on stage. Very little waiting between bands and suddenly a raft of people had appeared. The Crowd was more of less as full as it was going to get, i dont think it was the showing Hotleg were hoping for as it was easy enough to get to about 4 lines back from the stage without pushing. Those attending though were very into the gig and got into the spectacle from the first song. The whole gig seemed choreographed from song to song with the band taking it in turns to showboat and riffs stopping at the same time with the drums continuing the beat and all the guitarists arms out over the head clapping getting the crowd involved at every point.

As with the darkness at this point in their career they only had the 1 album to call upon for songs and i half expected some covers to pad out some time having seen some youtube live video’s of them.

In fairness to them they didnt play any covers that i could discern and they included a fairly lengthy song which they entitled the “Erection Section” which was a more slow type song filled with solo’s and bit kind of like Gary Moore “ive still got the blues for you” which afterward they asked who had erections now, admiting they themselves had gotten erections from that song.

They came back for an encore with justin now wearing a tennis shirt and what looked like either boxers or fairly tight tennis shorts. eventually the tennis shirt came off and the finished off the gig justin mostly naked. They had a crowd interaction part for one of the final where the crowd in time would say “whooooooooaaa …………………….. HUH”

This eventually caught on among the crowd getting the timing right and the band proceeded to play a song around the crowds sound effect. It was done fantastically and really brought the crowd into the show for the final part of the gig. They closed off the gig to a rapturous applause and delerium considering the size of crowd, a fantastic show put on by a person who seems born to entertain.

Im not completely sold on hotleg’s music, some of the riff’s still reek heavily of The Darkness and i suppose there will be no getting away from that for him. I did like the music but i dont think the songs nor the lyrics were as anthemic or as catchy as his time with The Darkness. This might come with time as the new proejct settles into its comfort zone. Listening to him in an interview the morning before the gig on the Ray Foley show, he seemed to believe that the darkness thing had run its course and there wasnt anything else left in that. It will be interesting to see now if they are able to produce the kind of mass and cult following that they had during the Darkness era.

Certainly the era of cock rock isnt over just yet and i will be interested to see what comes next from hotleg, i dont think this album, or any of the single releases will garner them the support and adoration that Permission to Land got them but only time will tell.

www.goldenplec.com