Kate Nash - Do Wah Doo

Earlier today we posted a pretty scathing review of Kate Nash playing live. She seemed to be experimenting with the idea of career suicide, playing a set that was often angry, edgy and musically rubbish. It was a gig that was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Having put the gun to her head, she has now begun to pull the trigger. In this weeks NME Kate is quoted as saying “Music for me is about sticking it to the man, not shaking hands with him.” Er, aren’t you on a major label Kate ? Haven’t you shaken hands with the man quite a bit ? After all you looked pretty pleased about winning a Brit Award a couple of years back. Later she continues by talking about record companies saying that she thinks they are damaging, because they sell false images -“They invent a bunch of pretty little girls to do something alternative and build up their little indie careers even though they’ve been signed to a major the whole time.” Er, not like when you released your debut ‘alternative’ single Caroline’s A Victim on Moshi Moshi records before releasing Foundations on a major then Kate? It’s a highly embarrassing read and although Kate denies that she has been influenced by her boyfriend Ryan from The Cribs in terms of the music she now likes, it reads as an almost identical agenda to that which he spouted to the NME back in 2007.

Of course Kate has some valid points - the fact that values in music and life in general are important is one that many wouldn’t disagree with. As Public Image Limited once sang “Anger is an energy,” and the opinions that Kate Nash is prepared to give could be used in a constructive way. However, actions speak louder than words and if Kate really wants to stick it to the man, she needs to get off her major label and start putting out her screaming expletive laden songs such as Mansion Song on her own little D-I-Y label. Whilst she’s dancing around dressed as an air hostess in a pop music video financed by a major, she’s hardly the champion of the underdog. Maybe she’s trying to subvert from within, but we suspect if she is, she may soon find herself kicked out.

So Kate Nash we’d love to sit down with you and have a cup of tea and a chat, because you’ve probably got some really great ideals and arguments, and even although we’ve written some very harsh words about you recently, we still really want to like you. But whilst you’re releasing great pop gems like Do Wah Doo with its sexy surfy guitar and sixties harmonies (video below) through a huge corporation, it comes across as your good self who is selling a false image.