The Ordinary Boys-Live review
 

The Ordinary Boys
March 20, 2006
The Times http://entertainment.timesonline.co....091036,00.html

Nick Kelly at the Ambassador, Dublin

“Who liked us before we were cool?” asked Preston, peering down into the moshpit of the Ambassador Theatre, Dublin. The paltry response from the Ordinary Army, as his band’s fanbase is called, spoke volumes about the nature of the singer’s newfound fame.

Some observers felt that Preston’s tenancy of the Celebrity Big Brother house in January gained him a new audience for his band but cost him his street cred. Indeed, the media buzz surrounding Preston’s relationship with the eventual winner Chantelle Houghton saw his song Boys Will Be Boys — previously available only as an internet download — rush-released as a retail single, after which it duly raced up the charts.

So, given that he’s now a name known in millions of households, why was the Ambassador only half full? Those who did turn up consisted of a small band of hardcore latter-day mods pogoing at the front. Surrounding them were a disconcerting number of Chantelle lookalikes. Who knows, maybe one of them was Chantelle herself?

Either way, the Chantelle Army for the most part didn’t seem terribly familiar with the hotch- potch of Jam, Clash, Specials and Madness-influenced songs served up by the well-drilled quintet on stage. Which meant that the evening had a strangely subdued feeling to it, as if half the audience were expecting something other than Preston playing choice cuts from the two albums Over the Counter Culture and Brassbound and offering the odd bit of banter in between.

Despite never really taking off, the gig did have its moments: the jaunty keyboards of Life Will Be the Death of Me recalled ska classics of yesteryear; the punkish Maybe Someday and Weekend Revolution were delivered with vim and vigour; and the finale Boys Will Be Boys kept the moshpit busy. But too many of the songs sounded so . . . ordinary.

A somewhat difficult question to answer, given that you're not, never were and never will be.

*Tee hee*

Because his knee-socked fan base aren't allowed out after dark, of course. And they've long-since given up on dreaming of falling into Preston's arms, finding greater comfort in fantasies of being as glib, dumb and weather-beaten as Chantelle instead.

Chill out- hes just a young buck chancing his arm by doing. He saw an opportunity that could work for them, or back-fire.

I cant see tham becoming the next big thing, but BB hasnt changed my opiinion of the music, only Preston himself. But when Im listening to their first album, Im just taking in the tunes, not Prestons love life. The Ordinary Army may have been hijacked by teenage girls, but us hardcore long term fans will still be there in a year or so time when the teenagers have moved on to their next 'hero'.

Didnt Blur attract teenage girls around 95-97? I remember Damon Albarn being the apple of many teenage girls eyes, but they managed to harness their proper fans and keep their credibility. Im not saying TOB are or are not as talented as Blur, but this shows that it can be done.