http://www.myspace.com/johnnylazermusic
Barden's Boudoir is buried somewhere on Stoke Newington Road, near a couple of Turkish kebab shops and down a flight of stairs. Girls vastly outnumber boys; they huddle in alcoves and around small tables. Many sport short, boyish hair cuts. The androgyny grows more apparent the closer one looks, and soon little doubt is left as to why I'm the only guy here.
Johnny Lazer finally hits the stage around midnight. The crowd crush in around the platform and suddenly I can feel my camera bashing against someone's leg. I'm now wedged between two floor speakers, right at the front. Nearby a plastic pint sits flat and forgotten - I carefully eye it's position and make a mental note not to spill it.
Johnny Lazer's tunes are defiantly pop, an unflinching challenge to those who believe the genre is still owned by twelve year old girls. "Kaleidoscope" is a colourful tale of fractured love that dips and peaks like a sinister fairground ride. One can almost catch sight of the cracked mirrors and crying clowns as we are whisked by. Meanwhile, "Weekend Waster" is a swaggering panorama of the end times, where the rivers flow with JD and the four horsemen of the apocalypse can be heard galloping across the dance floor.
Credible pop for those old enough to have loved, lost, and who really should know better.
In these photos: Johnny Lazer and Laura Fares (drums).
