Hoxton Bar and Grill
Thursday July 10, 2008
by S P
Who the f**k is The Peth? That’s the t-shirt, Kate Moss wore to The Peth’s first London gig. It is part of the official merchandise of The Peth. The Peth (meaning “the thing” in Welsh) reunited Rhys Ifans together with Super Furry Animal’s drummer Dafydd Ieuan and bass guitarist Guto Pryce. For those unfamiliar with Rhys Ifans’ early career or SFA, Rhys Ifans had a brief stint as SFA’s lead singer before Gruff Rhys took the reign and SFA found international success. Ieuan, instead of drumming, is the lead guitarist for The Peth, and according to reports it is a role he is not entirely comfortable with.
What do you expect from a band fronted by Rhys Ifans? Without a doubt, it’s a SUPER BAND! Devoid of any support bands, The Peth stormed on stage at ten, greeted by what seemed to be close friends and relations in the audience. The list is long as we spotted Kate, Sadie Frost, Carl Barât, the woman I am willing to turn gay for SAMANTHA MORTON and the man NO LOOSE LIPS GIRLS will have sex with – Chris Waitt of A Complete History of My Sexual Failures!
It’s easy to dismiss any actor turned singer, which in Ifans case is singer turned actor turned singer. All questioning aside, The Peth is an accomplished band. Sounding uncannily similar to Gruff Rhys, Ifans possesses a warm baritone voice. I’m happy to report, all these years of smoking and drinking haven’t hurt his voice.
Musically and melodically, there’s a massive parallel echo that reverberates SFA’s psychedelic rock sound. Since everyone is here to watch Rhys Ifans, yes, his stage presence is awe-inspiring for most of the crowd. However, what makes The Peth a good band to watch is the other members. They looked like they are genuinely enjoying themselves and they are putting on a show for the crowd. Together, they reminded me of Bez, except they are playing instruments… there are all together TEN members of The Peth… all out in full force for a good ole-fashioned jam session.
Their debut album Golden Mile is launched in September.