Damien Mulley

Take the worst of the Oxegen music festival and put it in one room. Review done. In fairness MGMT don’t have a huge back catalog so it was no surprise that they started late and finished quite early with the very much expected “Kids” as the second song on the encore. Nice too that their banter is improving. They asked the audience do they like to drink. I wonder when they play in France so they ask the audience do they drive bicycles while wearing berets with strings of onions hanging from their necks?

The middle of the set seemed to play drawn-out b-sides or new songs or versions of songs that I didn’t recognize but I appreciated them. The band are a rock band at heart judging by the talented musicians that played tonight. Their backing band especially added to their live show. Saying that, some of the live versions of the songs didn’t have the same power at all.

The music as I stated was good overall but the crowd utterly ruined it. There were huge amounts of barely legal (drinking sense) teens drunk and just bombing into the crowd. Manners got taught to some of them but there were surges and shoving going on when the kids identified the tunes that 2fm or Spin played while there was total calm for unreleased album tracks. MGMT also play on the 4th and by that time every kid in the country will probably have seen them.

Situated over the footbridge from the Coal Quay, this restaurant has all the charm and grace of a sweaty sock. To get to the point: The manager of this place is a prick. A group of us from BarCamp headed along to it last night and we were actually made feel totally unwelcome by their staff the minute we came in. Most of our group had already arrived and we made no booking plans. The contempt and hostility shown said it all. Four of us arrived and asked to sit next to the large group and were told no. We suggested moving a table to the large formation already there. “No.”

Then they decided to do exactly this. I asked should I take the glasses off the table as they moved it. I was told “No, don’t touch it ” in very hostile tones. Did I mention the manager is a prick? I hope I relayed that point. When we sat down he addressed us like we were four year olds speaking in slow broken and stressed english not to lean against a partition. Phil ordered a Carlsberg I think and was agressively told they didn’t have it and for what seemed like spite, was carded.

Our food arrived and the rare tuna steak I ordered was good but not fantastic. No pleases, no thank yous, no come agains. Mediocre food thrown at you while charged at top dollar.

Life is too short to deal with people and businesses like Hardwood. They won’t get my business again. I will happily recommend a bag of razor blades over anything they serve. No matter how good food can be when attitude like that is shown it ruins the whole experience. They only get a one star because I can’t give it a zero with LouderVoice.