It's definitely a family affair for Morgan Nicholls up on stage tonight. Not only has the ex-Senseless Thing and sometime-member of Delakota got younger brother William doing the DJ duties, but cousin Rose, sister Amy and, more surprisingly, dad Billy are on vocal duties. The elder Mr Nicholls alternates between looking slightly bemused and grinning like a Cheshire cat. Which pretty much sums up the band's performance.
After a shambolic start to proceedings, with the band sitting waiting for their technology to start, they kick off with guaranteed crowd-pleaser 'Miss Parker'. Young William does his spoken bit at the start (the one he clandestinely recorded in geography class) and all the girls go 'aaah'. Morgan definitely like their organs - in addition to Pete Townshend's Hammond, there's a Wurlitzer up there as well, which unfortunately just tends to drown out the vocals.
Live, the band take on a much more funky and harder edge than on their recent album 'Organized'. There's certainly the potential for things to disappear into noodle rock hell, but fortunately they never do. However, 'When I Close My Eyes' is just one step away from Paul Weller-style 'earnest rock' bombast.
It's a curious melange, and one gets the impression that no-one in the band, not least Morgan himself, knows quite what to do with it. After a scandously brief set, they return and do 'Miss Parker' again. This time, the band manage to come in on cue with the samples.
Ultimately, though, Morgan are nothing more than a pleasant distraction. Despite their brief dalliances with the 21st century, this is music firmly rooted in the 60s and 70s - the Emperor's new clothes with organs to go. Much perspiration but only a dash of inspiration.
