If you are wanting something enjoyable in this dreary age of Brexit, Trump and bad Tinder dates, Confidence Man is the band you have been looking for. It takes a quick YouTube search to get pulled into the chaotically liberating dance music from Confidence Man, a band which consistently engages a wide-eyed dancing crowd. The top voted comment on their music video for “Better Sit Down Boy“, sums up the band: “Me: wtf did I just watch? My brain: watch it again”.
This band was suggested to me as a MUST to see perform at the Great Escape Festival in Brighton this year. Their songs, combined with their own choreography using the most “ridiculous dance moves they could think of” meant that I was not disappointed.
Australian band Confidence Man have come from the land down under with their 4 wacky personas of Janet Planet, Sugar Bones, Reggie Goodchild and drummer Clarence McGuffie. With a disregard for the opinions of others, Confidence Man’s music are priceless songs to make you move and laugh.
As with many great bands before them, Confidence Man started writing their music as “a bit of a joke” after taking the fancy to start a band that was dance music, instead of their traditional indie/psych-rock roots. The children of the Ting Tings sassy lyrics and Fatboy Slim’s disco-house gave the result which is a messy, addictive mood lifting dance band.
Their debut album Confident Music For Confident People was released on April 13, 2018, and the band revealed a project that we didn’t know we needed.
“Boyfriend (Repeat)” is the band’s debut single, with funky acid house vibes paired with monotone savage lyrics “My boyfriend wants to talk. My boyfriend talks too much”.
The tongue-in-cheek song is very entertaining and playful, always successful live, in enticing a crowd to dance. The inspiration for the songs came from Bridget Bardot’s “Contact”, where she repeats one word throughout the whole song. The age-restricted music video features Ken dolls foreseeing a range of creative and unpleasant endings.
“Better Sit Down Boy” is a call to the dancefloor with a modern upbeat disco sound. A song which could be interpreted in a number of different ways; was written to tell boys what to do. The self-assured Planet continues their unique backing-track sound with a catchy chorus.
Listening to “Try Your Luck With Me”, is not for the thought-provoking lyrics, but a futuristic disco track listen you would expect Martians groove to on a night out in space. Straight from the get-go, the lyrics “I must confess, I’ve been sleeping with your ex cos I heard he was the best” grab everyone’s attention in the room. Impossible not to sing along to after the first listen the catchy chorus has massive disco overtones.
Co-vocalist Bones leads “Don’t You Know I’m In A Band” with the tongue-in-cheek, cocky lyrics and a disco-house percussion. The song emphasises the band’s manifesto to let loose and have fun and while bringing some “dorkiness into music”. An LCD Soundsystem influence can be heard through this track.
“Out The Window” is the more typically-cool traditional dance song from the album. The song begins by grabbing your attention with Massive Attack-esk drums layered on top of feedback and a deep house breakdown. Close your eyes to feel back in the ’90s.
Hilarious lyrics with even more chaotically amazing dances, the hypnotic and proudly awkward Planet draws you in by resurrecting a vintage 90’s dance sound paired with bossy witty lyrics. Go check out the Australian king and queens of camp, as this wildly creative 4-some, has more debauchery in store for eager fans alike. They’re performing next in the UK on June 12 in Nottingham, and June 20 in Bristol.
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Words by Tabby Sherring
