Metro Gig Big Boss Man

Published on 3rd June 2001 (UK)

Media title : Metro

In every late 1960s Brit capermovie, it was de rigueur to featurea scene set in a happeningnightspot, during which comicallyhirsute geezers would grimacesensually ever clinking G&Ts whilenubile dollies shimmied to aferociously groovy in-house band,at least one of whom would bewearing a cape.Hailing, somehow fittingly, from Newbury, Berkshire,Big Boss Man pictured) are the seismic reincarnationof all such combos in one frugging, frisky mass.Shamelessly retro, but no worse for it, this hipsterquartet are the grooving epitome of Blow Up, theclub/label from which they spring and which acts asan open-armed mecca to lovers of 1960s soul, R’n’B,exotica and Mtech. Fronted by Hammond overlord,Nasser Bousida, the band were formed in 1999, withTrevor Harding on guitar, Scott Milsom on doublebass and Nick Nichols on drums. A Dayglo stew of1960s pop, R’n’B, latin, soul and funk, they renderretro accusations utterly redundant; theiranachronisms, surely, are thepoint, so stop carping, and get onthe floor.Debut single Sea Groove was – ofcourse – released on 7in only andbecame an instant Blow Upclassic, while their soundtrackcontribution to The MightyBoosh’s award-winning short film,Sweet, earned further plaudits.Their debut LP wilt be released inJuly, preceded by an eponymouslytitled single in May, althoughthose hungry for more immediate grooves will surelyby appeased by Bousida’s recent solo LP, TheBongolian. A description of the sounds containedtherein hardly seems necessary. Proving that aslavish dedication to the past need not result in musicentirety bereft of inspiration, Big Boss Man, thoughhardly in the business of pushing boundaries, couldblow your mind at 20 paces. Go-go crazy. PW