The Hot Rats suffered sound problems as they made their Leeds Festival debut on the Festival Republic Stage.The band – featuring Supergrass‘ singer and drummer Danny Goffey – played tracks from their forthcoming covers album, which is produced by Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich.
The pair performed a similar set to their warm-up gig at London’s Old Blue Last venue earlier this week, but they were dogged by technical problems.
Right from the kick-off, Coombes constantly found himself telling the stage crew to turn the sound up as they launched into The Velvet Underground’s ‘I Can’t Stand It’.
At one point Goffey also complained, “I think I got the wind in my ear”. It was only towards the end of the set when the pair performed their cover of Sex Pistols’ ‘E.M.I.’ that the sound improved, prompting Goffey to jibe: “That’s better, fucking hell, I can hear what I’m doing.”
But as they attempted to roll into the next track, the stage crew told the band that their time was up, causing Goffey to have a further dig as he complained: “I’d only just got the sound going. Never mind.”
Earlier, the band rattled through various covers of songs by The Doors, David Bowie and Gang Of Four, as well as a drum-heavy take of The Beastie Boys classic ‘(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)’.
As the pair launched into the track, Coombes, who mistakenly thought he was about to play ‘Crystal Ship’, told the crowd: “This a song by The Doors,” before Goffey interjected, “No it’s not,” prompting the singer to admit his error, adding: “OK, this is a song by somebody else.”
The duo were on jovial form, despite being dogged by technical hitches, with Coombes joking before Roxy Music’s ‘Love Is The Drug’: “Ray Davies was going to do this one with us but what can you do?”
The Hot Rats played:
‘I Can’t Stand It’
‘Damaged Goods’
‘(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)’
‘Crystal Ship’
‘Love Is The Drug’
‘Queen Bitch’
‘Mirror In The Bathroom’
‘Pump It Up’
‘E.M.I.’
buy tickets from here
