St Luke’s is a very intimate venue with a low stage that’s very close to the crowd and is just round the corner from the renowned Barrowland Ballroom.

Kill the Pain is a pop funk duo comprising of Phoebe Killdeer and Melanie Pain (see what they did there?).

Phoebe and Melanie have both previously featured on Nouvelle Vague albums so it’s no surprise that they have great stage presence and phenomenal voices. Fun fact, Vague is pronounced to rhyme with bag.

The lights went down, and the band walked on the stage in robot fashion striking dramatic poses with each step. Phoebe was wearing a very high, sparkly tinsel wig which didn’t come off until the third song. We can attest to the fact that these things are not fashioned to be worn all night as they’re very hot and can make you very sweaty!

They performed mainly to pre-recorded backing tracks, taking turns singing, playing bass, keyboard and occasionally a shaker.

They launch into Watch Your Step with the opening lyric ‘Excuse me, I’m sorry, I think you’re standing on my foot’. It must be said that the foot in question was encased in a very striking neon green boot. Funky drums and bassline with a spoken word style of singing.

This is the kind of music that you can’t help but dance to and the crowd were certainly enjoying it. Next up was Skinny with the standout lyric being ‘I was born skinny but my hands are made of steel’.

Chiwawa was next on the set list, a more laid-back track which seemed to be about releasing your inner chiwawa (I’m assuming a chiwawa is the same as a chihuahua) although the lyrics are quite sexualised so who knows?

Meditations was the highlight of the set with the crowd joyously singing along to the opening phrase “What the fuck is going on, what the fuck is going on, what the fuck is going on”.

Any members of the audience who had been asking this question when the duo rocked onto the stage like a couple of Austin Powers Fembots were definitely on board at this stage. Bit of a samba beat to this one, but still very funky.

Before the final song of the set Melanie spoke about the fact the song was about stories from the tour and what happens on tour stays on tour… unless you write a song about it.

Good girl has a very fast beat but again has an almost spoken style of singing. It’s all about some guys that they ‘met’ while on tour, an American guy, a guy from the Netherlands and a French guy. Each one pretty much useless.

A fantastic set from Kill the Pain.

Nouvelle Vague is a French cover band who cover mainly punk songs in a Bossa Nova style. This show is part of their 20th anniversary tour and over the past 20 years they have featured several singers.

In tonights show the singers that are joining them are Marine Quemere and Alonya, who both appear on the album Should I Stay or Should I Go.

The opening song of the set is Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division.

The stage is in darkness with only spotlights picking out the members of the band, Marine is singing this one, but she is in total darkness throughout the song.

The track is quite melancholic, but it’s very well known as it appeared on their first album and this version of the Joy Division classic was one that found them fame two decades ago.

Alonya joins Marine on stage to perform People Are People by Depeche Mode. The drummer was almost horizontal at times during this song but still managed to conduct the band, as he did throughout the whole set. As with Love Will Tear Us Apart this song has a real sense of melancholy and is sung beautifully.

Alonya is left on stage to sing the next song which is Only You by Yazoo. This one is much more upbeat and got a strong reaction from the audience who were loving it.

The singers swap and Marine takes charge of Making Plans for Nigel by XTC. This track goes back to the strong Bossa Nova style and features smooth lilting vocals by Marine.

The slow bouncing ska beat helps me realise she’s signing Girls on Film by Duran Duran. This song is probably the furthest from the original, but it’s delivered so well and is a fantastic cover.

Other mentionable tracks are; What I Like Most About You is Your Girlfriend by The Specials, Marian by The Sisters of Mercy, You Spin Me Round by Dead or Alive, Shout by Tears for Fears.

The stage is bathed in green light for the next song and once again the singers switch. Alonya stands in front of the mic while sounds of nature are played over swinging bongos and intricate bass. The song is A Forest by The Cure which starts out very subdued but during, what I think might be, a marimba solo Alonya dances frenetically.

Next up is the bands version of John Peel’s favourite song, Teenage Kicks by The Undertones. She asks the audience “Are we ready to have some fun?” which, to be fair they are, but this version gives the audience more of a middle aged shuffle than a teenage kick.

The tempo really goes up as Alonya and the band launch into Just Can’t Get Enough by Depeche Mode.

The audience are loving it and dancing along. It’s quite easy to spot which sections of the crowd support a certain football team as they chant along to the song.

This is the fourth song in a row that Alonya has been at the mic. A very different take on the Guns of Brixton by The Clash which has a bit of a Disney Villain feeling to it. You can really imagine this being sung by Cruella De Vil.

At this point it’s clear to see that the audience are reacting more to the songs from the bands first album. It also must be said that the singers have great voices, there’s nowhere for them to hide behind the music especially on the more stripped back songs. The band and singers are so tight and there’s not a single note out of place throughout the whole night.

Both singers take to the stage for the next song which is Too Drunk to Fuck by Dead Kennedys. The familiar beat kicks in and the audience has a great time singing along.

Marine and Alonya are joined on stage by Kill the Pain for their rendition of Friday Night Saturday Morning by The Specials which Phoebe sings most of.

The audience are enjoying it, but things are cranked up at the end when the song speeds up and takes a turn towards its ska origins and all four singers launch into a mini encore.

The band leave the stage but very quickly come back on for their first encore which takes us back to the bands roots and what they do best a version of Ever Fallen in Love with Someone by Buzzcocks, sung by Marine.

I think that Nouvelle Vague may have a real chance at doing the next Bond theme with their version of She’s in Parties by Bauhaus. Phoebe sings this one and she’s giving real strong Shirley Bassey vibes.

Quite possibly the best song of the night and further proof that any other singer can sing a Smiths song better than Morrissey. Melanie and the band make This Charming Man sound more like The Girl from Ipanema. Like a meeting of a Salford social club on Copacabana beach.

Marine takes over the microphone for the penultimate song and falsely tells the audience this is the last song. She breezes through I Melt With You by Modern English, the song that launched a million lounge version covers for use in car adverts.

Again, the band leave the stage but very quickly come back on for the final encore. The classic rhythm starts and we’re into In a Manner of Speaking by Tuxedomoon a rather strange choice of last song as it is very slow, however Alonya sings it so beautifully and so purely that the audience goes home happy.

📝 words: John Young

📸 Photos: Marie Hendry