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Being 747 Live review - 17/02/05 - The Cardigan arms Bearing in mind that the small room at the top of the Cardigan Arms is rapidly reaching a temperature more akin to a furnace than a gig venue, it is to Being 747's credit that people are hanging around to see them. But stick around they did, and a good time was had by all. Being Wrathsters, you kind of know what to expect from Being 747, very twisted pop music, witty lyrics and a general sense of excellence. Opening with (the stupidly long-titled) 'The Girl Who Fell Asleep Whilst Watching Her Life Flash Before Her Eyes', it is very clear why this band have the reputation that they do in Leeds. Whilst bands like Franz Ferdinand and The Walkmen get credit on an international scale for creating great art-rock, Being 747 are doing it better right here, in a sweaty old room above a cheap old pub. Dave Cooke's songs are undeniably marvellous, all clever puns, smart thinking and bouts of surreal humour (like the robot-tastic 'Circuits and Wires', or the song about being a dinosaur, the name escapes me). When it's performed in Cooke's baritone voice, with his guitar weaving around Steve's keyboard and bass (often played simultaneously) it sounds like pure genius. What's even more to their credit is their range of styles. A quick listen through their Fun & Games album will prove this, but live it's even more obvious. One minute they can be playing the raw rock of 'DIY Prescriptions', then switch to the bordering on cheesy 'Weathergirl', and then the explosive pop of 'Use Your Friends'. That's Being 747 then, a band for every mood. Tom Goodhand writting
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