::SPIEGELWORLD::

Menlo Park with special guests The Hysterics		BUY NOW
Dates:	Tue 8 August 10.00pm
Price:	$15

Harper Simon’s infamous Menlo Park from London making a rare New York appearance. Menlo Park make music. Influenced by many but incredibly original sounding, they have defied pigeonholing since their inception. Compared favourably to Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, Elvis, The Pogues, Mojave 3 - even The Bloodhound Gang - their music can probably best be described as voodoo country brothel rock. The implausibly charismatic front man Chris Taylor, a Philadelphian who came to London in 1997 seeking fame and fortune, met violinist Johnny Greswell busking outside Tottenham Court Road tube station and they decided to form a band. In time, they met a drummer, Sebastian Rochford, playing in a strip club, and he joined up. They went on to recruit many more members (up to 15 have been seen at times one the one stage), and released a very well received EP called "We All Doctors Here". They then recorded and released an eponymous album (on Cutty Shark, Oct. 2000), written in an "open-air squat". Both have been critically well received, as was the infamous gig in Shoreditch Town Hall, with free food and drink, a string quartet, boxing match, trapeze, stuffed animals, fairy lights, fake snow, magicians and arm wrestling competitions. Anyone who has seen one of their live performances will doubtlessly remember it, if not for the burlesque surroundings then for the sharp suits, mesmeric performance, a capella vocal spot, audience participation, dancing, or the fact that they have more energy and charisma than the entire top 40 put together. If you haven't seen them, you're really missing out. The Hysterics are opening for Menlo Park The Hysterics (Brooklyn, NY) Neo-Pyscadelia made by boys The Hysterics draw influences from a wide range of masters, including jazz greats Elvin Jones and Max Roach, the bass lines of Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh, and the music of Velvet Underground, Prince, Love and Sly & the Family Stone. "We just play the music as it comes out," Oliver says. "We don't have much perception of who we're making music for, honestly. We're just making it for ourselves and hoping it sounds good."