PYRAMIDDD @ London Flowerpot, 24/11/09

You know, I quite liked the name “Starfucker.” I suppose the hostile moniker may have scared away the A&R men, many of whom were in attendance tonight, but I felt it suited their high-energy Technicolor disco camp rather perfectly. But no point dwelling on the past- they’re now called Pyramiddd (causing consternation for spell-checkers everywhere) and they’re just as awesome as ever. The obvious comparison point is MGMT, but rather than consisting of a couple of drugged-up hipsters slurring over pre-recorded backing tracks and charging £20 for the privilege, the Artists-Formerly-Known-As-Starfucker actually play their instruments and what’s more, are a hundred times more entertaining to boot. The first couple of songs are beset with sound problems; the lead vocals being lost under a fuzz of bass, but even before those issues are resolved it’s clear Pyramiddd are something pretty special. “Medicine” and “Boy Toy” encapsulate the Starfucker ethic perfectly- simple, catchy lyrics, four-to-the floor disco drums, vibrant synth lines that sound like a cross between The Unicorns and a malfunctioning Gameboy and most importantly, an irresistible sense of fun. But whilst they excel at crowd-pleasing synth pop that by-passes the head and goes straight to the feet, there’s also an understated complexity to some of their tracks (Isabella of Castille) that’s well-served by the technical excellence of the band. Ryan Biornstad’s yelps may not always be the most tuneful (perhaps because of his busted monitor) but his and Josh Hodges’ synths are more complex than many acts of their ilk, Shawn Glassford’s multi-tasking on bass and drums is constantly impressive and lead percussionist Keil Corcoran is a dervish of energy throughout. Unlike many of their peers, they don’t take themselves too seriously either- tonight they restricted themselves to garish nail varnish, but they often perform in drag and despite the disappointing turnout they clearly gave their all. Perhaps they shouldn’t have dispatched their fantastically faithful rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s 80’s classic “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” so early in the set, but Dance Face 2000 was a fitting enough closer, with Biornstad pulling out his funkiest dance moves and leaping off the stage to throw some shapes with the more enthusiastic members of the audience. You’d never accuse Pyramiddd of being groundbreaking in any way, shape or form but to see a band so determined to bring the party even in a half-empty pub in Kentish Town deserves all the support they can get. If they can get on the festival circuit next year, I have no doubts they’ll be deservedly huge- they may not change the world, but they’ll sure as hell make you dance.