Snoop Dogg: Liverpool o2 Academy, 18/05/2011

In the week of Liverpool Sound City it can be difficult for an artist to stand out. Every venue in Liverpool City Centre had been preparing for months for the area's stand out music festival, but it was the o2 Academy on Hotham Street that seemed to be the busiest. The night before Sound City officially began, the Academy was clearly hosting something special. Two enormous tour-buses (I believe the technical term for their size is “big, fuck-off tour-buses”) blocked the road and security guards were intent on making sure no one wandered where they shouldn't. There was even a noticeable police presence – one frisking wasn't enough for entrance, you also had to shuffle past a sniffer-dog to get in, causing many a-pothead to creep past like a particularly nervous contestant on Knightmare. To say there was an atmosphere around the place would be an understatement, and few artists can generate this sort of buzz.

One man who certainly can is Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. Or as he's better known, Snoop Dogg.

Even fewer artists can get away with taking the piss over stage-times as much as Snoop either. Whilst his DJ stretched out the minutes by inviting on stage the easier female members of the Liverpool crowd (who no doubt got the chance to make a “film” with Snoop backstage later on), the crowd gleaned with an anticipatory sweat; not helped by the Krazyhouse-levels of humidity in the Academy. After two hefty bodyguards lined the stage to discourage any would-be invaders, the Doggfather himself finally arrived to a tremendous reception. Pigtails, shades and ridiculously oversized gold microphone in hand, Snoop dove straight in to the set.

As this tour was primarily to promote new album Doggumentary, there may have been some trepidation from those in attendance that he would focus on his newer songs while ignoring the classics; thankfully this was not to be the case*. Standards such as “Who Am I (What's My Name)” and “Tha Shiznit” rested comfortably alongside later hits like “Drop It Like It's Hot” and new single, “Wet (David Guetta remix)”. A setlist spanning three decades highlights a remarkable career for a man who is not yet 40 but has remained near-enough at the top of the rap game since his 1993 début – and it was a song from that début LP which stood out as the peak of the night, “Gin n Juice” bringing together the rapper on stage and the predominantly white, scouse crowd; many of whom were not even born when the song was first released.

Fans of Snoop's numerous collaborations were not to be disappointed either - “The Next Episode” kicked off the whole gig to an ecstatic crowd, and “I Wanna Fuck You” followed later on, as well as Snoop's version of 50 Cent's “P.I.M.P.”. The inclusion of a few musical tributes to fallen friends was a nice touch too , with covers of songs by House of Pain, Eazy-E, Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. - the sing-a-long chorus of the latter's “Hypnotise” going down particularly well with the crowd. There was also a touching moment of respect for his close friend, collaborator and cousin, Nate Dogg, who passed away earlier this year.

Though there was a surprising lack of guests joining him on stage, Snoop admirably held the crowd alone and performed for near an hour; more than one might expect for a rap gig these days. The setlist contained more than enough hits to keep most happy, with a few nice surprises along the way. For someone whose reputation almost certainly precedes him, it might have been hard for Snoop Dogg to live up to the high expectations of the Academy's capacity crowd. But he did it with aplomb, showing no sign of letting up and engaging in a nice level of interaction with the audience; even when potentially alienating half of the crowd by coming back on stage with a Liverpool FC shirt on, Snoop enhanced his reputation as a fan-favourite.  Even when a brief power-shortage caused the beats to drop he wasn't thrown off stride and remained in good spirits.

Snoop certainly has his critics, especially outside of music, but for rap fans he does not disappoint. It would have been easy for Snoop Dogg to phone in this sort of gig and simply play the tracks from his latest album, but the setlist was almost everything a fan could want and he performed with gusto, and perhaps most importantly, looked like he was enjoying it himself.

Hopefully next time he'll do it without the Liverpool shirt.

*Murder was tha case

Foster The People's album, "Torches", is out tomorrow.  Looking forward hugely to illegally downloading buying it ASAP!

A tribute, in spandex

I went to my first concert, as a wide-eyed 13 year old, when I went to see The Offspring back in January 2001. I remember being amazed at the scale of it – a reported 20,000 were crammed in to the M.E.N. Arena. A, the first support group, were to be the first of thousands of bands I'd be fortunate enough to see over the next ten years, and the gig as a whole remains a favourite of mine.

Since then other concerts stand out for varying reasons. Muse and their batshit-mental light-show, playing outdoors during one of the worst thunderstorms I've ever been caught in (Leeds, 2006); Snoop Dogg and his entourage performing to 30,000 pilled-up Europeans in a Serbian castle (EXIT, 2007); and Andrew WK, simply being Andrew WK in a tiny room to about 200 people (Manchester Academy 3, 2003). Right up there amongst those illustrious names*, though, is a band you may have never heard of before: Carousel Cartel.

Carousel Cartel – formerly known as Halagoogoo – are a three-piece from Bristol/London-ways, with a blues/rock sound that would not have gone amiss in 1972. Capable of a lot more noise than you'd perhaps expect from three short southerners, the group assuredly wear their influences on their spandex sleeves; from tight, Zeppelin II-esque guitar licks and pounding drums to the funky excitement of Ram Jam, Carousel Cartel clearly have the enthusiasm for classic rock and fortunately have the talent to match. Indeed, both the latter group's “Black Betty” and Zep's “Moby Dick” often make appearances in their live sets. And their live sets are really what this band is about.

I first saw CC/Halagoogoo back around 2007 at The Magnet in Liverpool. I was there to see my friend's band, a fine act in their own right, but it was hard not to notice the three people sitting by the stage waiting for their time to shine. Despite having had no idea who they were, if you see a band dressed in leopard-print leotards, fur coats and platform boots then you simply have to stay and watch – and I'm glad I did. While it was the outfits that drew us in, it was immediately obvious that this was a very talented, very tight band.

Simon Frost handles the tricky combination of lead vocals and lead guitar superbly – no easy task when you consider the Page-esque riffs he's expertly playing whilst maintaining strong - but not overbearing - vocals. Bassist Chris Neagle also provides backing vocals, furnishing the songs with some nice harmonies that complement his pounding, driving basslines. However it's drummer Ryan Woodland that invariably ends up as the centre of attention. Not because of his drumming – and he's certainly more-than-adequate, thumping but also capable of a subtle, jazzier style on songs like “Black Bryan”, for example, that provides an extra dimension to the group's rhythm – but because he seems to be on a one-man mission to avenge every drummer who has ever been roundly ignored, forgotten behind his kit.

Bounding across the stage, off the stage, into the audience and onto the audience at any opportunity, Woodland's energy and sense of (more than a little unhinged) fun is Carousel Cartel in a microcosm. Despite playing to about 25 people in the aforementioned Magnet gig, he was a dynamo; at one point he was in the crowd and miming performing fellatio on my friend Pete whilst playing a cowbell between his legs. Stood next to Pete, I couldn't help but wonder if I had had a close call or a missed opportunity.

Faux-homoeroticism aside, it's a shame that the band hasn't been given the wider opportunities their music, and especially their live shows, deserve. Considering the current nadir of British rock music, the energy and enthusiasm of Carousel Cartel would be a refreshing, entertaining change to the soulless guitar music that's widespread recently. Would you rather go and watch Snow Patrol croon through another forgettable rock-ballad or watch 3 men in headbands and leotards play – perform – out of their skin no matter the size of the audience?

For the last few years I've hugely overplayed my three-disc sampler (kindly given out for free at their 2009 Bumper gig, such nice boys) and tried to recommend them to anyone who would listen, converting a few friends along the way. Over the years their relentless touring has sure enough won them fans nationwide – to see them live is to more-than-likely love them. But sadly the band have decided to call it a day, and their last gig is Saturday the 28th in their HQ of Putney. I urge anyone nearby to call in for what will surely be a brilliant, worthy send-off. Disappointingly I can't make it but I feel privileged that I got to see them live, if only a couple of times, before they packed up for good.

And I haven't been able to look at a cowbell properly since.

Carousel Cartel are on Myspace, and are over here on Facebook.

*“and Andrew WK”, yeah yeah, you were thinking it. The man is a misunderstood genius