Credit: Found On Internet

DJ and producer Justin Robertson is best known for his remixes of Bjork and Felix da Housecat, for his big-beat Lionrock outfit and for his Madchester DJing days.  Since his Revtone project for the Nuphonic label, he hasn’t been seen or heard from much outside the DJ booth but his brand new project is Thee Earls and the sound is 100% fresh and fun.

Thee Earls are showcasing their new live line-up at Ben Osborne’s Klunk Klick night at London’s The Social. This five-piece is a crowd-pleasing, team-playing, proper band. They exude a sense of insouciant enjoyment that can only come with musicians so practised and professional they don’t have to try too hard on stage. Everyone is grinning; the appreciative audience, Thee Earls themselves and most especially the drummer, Simon Harison. He banters with the crowd and his bandmates and is in stitches as people process past him en route to the toilets. He’s less insulted than incredulous. His stripped-down drum kit is wedged in by the toilets door and DJ booth as the band and their instruments spill out from the squashed tiny stage.

Robertson takes centre stage on lead vocals and seems very relaxed in the role. His right-hand man, Gez Dewar, is on keys and synths while his backing vocals harmonize with and add weight to Justin’s. There’s also Charlie Casey on lead guitar, Nick Abnett on bass and Harison on drums. Bar the bassist, they’re all in hats of the Doherty, Sinatra, Madchester and flat cap variety and the headwear coupled with the careless, faded smartness of their clothes gives Thee Earls a waggish, rakish air. Sort of 1950s barrow boys chic.

Justin Robertson’s new tunes certainly wear their references on their sleeves but they are executed with such joy, such style, no one minds. The opening track, ‘Bombs To Fall’ would flatter Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and friends while ‘Only Dancing’ and possibly ‘Hold A Light’ might cause David Bowie to flash his tiny teeth as he recalls his ‘Young Americans’ phase. Amazingly none of us care, no one is begrudging him his pilfering as it’s done with such charm.