Music Features

Sohodolls - live at the Cambridge Barfly, 16 Chesterton Rd, Cambridge. Tuesday 16th October, '07. Tickeline: 0870 9070999

She's stunning, witty, smart - AND she can hold a tune. Sohodolls' Maya von Doll. So good, don't you just want to slap her?

Sohodolls' Maya

But y'see, the problem with this solution is that Maya's actually a very nice person at the same time. More reason to slap her. Though, with the band's mix of pop and sleaze, one suspects she might actually enjoy that...

It's been a hectic year for Sohodolls, and with a busy European tour under their belts, it's taken them a year to put their debut album together. But now it's out - just in time for you to grab a copy before seeing them play live in Cambridge.

Ribbed Music for the Numb Generation is an eclectic mix of all the stuff they love. A bit of just about everything, to be honest. There's a real 80s synth-pop feel to it, belying their love of glam rock (both the music and the fashion) - but they're also big on the club scene, and there's something about their lyrics and themes that comes over ever-so-slightly Placebo-esque - their appeal is wide, and it's going to continue growing once the album gets its due airplay.

So, I like it, even if Maya's 'girlie, girlie' vocals aren't as edgy as some of their lyrics seem to demand. But, what's going to make anyone else go out and buy it?

"There're some really hooky melodies in there," Maya explains. "It's essentially an electro-mix of glam and rock 'n' roll, but there's also some vintage jazz-inspired songs, too."

We discuss the band's influences - Maya loves Rammstein. So do I. We'd both love to see them live. She thinks it's "cool" that I can hear a bit of the Placebo in a couple of their tracks. You see, we've both had Placebo-related accidents in our time - one of their bouncers fell on top of me in the photo pit, and Brian (Molko) spilt his pint over Maya in Camden's Barfly. It's a small world.

When she was younger, she met a guitarist from a well-known Brit-Pop band... yes, he tried it on a bit (what red-blooded male wouldn't? Her picture certainly had a few knees trembling in the BBC office!), but it was this meeting that convinced her that she really did want a career in music. She fancied him a bit... but she fancied him more the next day when she realised how famous he was!

Said popster shall remain nameless for the purpose of this article, but Maya says he's now a "fat farmer". Is that libelous, I ask the woman who once wanted to study law? "No," she says. "It's just the truth. He's fat and he's a farmer. He used to hold a guitar - now he holds a pig [giggles]."

Earlier in the summer Sohodolls played at the Secret Garden Party in Huntingdon - "Oh, that was near Cambridge? I slept all the way so I didn't really know where I was!" She exclaims. "It's such a lovely festival, though. People are so nice and no one threw any rubbish anywhere - that's quite odd for a festival really."

If you missed Sohodolls on that occasion, or you need another fix, you're in luck because they're back. And if you haven't seen them play live before, Maya warns: "Expect the unexpected. Our shows are known to be quite unpredictable - sometimes quite chaotic... there's always a lot of energy and lots of humour on stage.

"We don't take ourselves too seriously. We just wanna have a good time, really."

Sohodolls - where to see 'em sing...

Catch Sohodolls live at the New Cambridge Barfly on Tuesday 16th October and keep your eyes peeled for gig piccies and very possibly some backstage gossip - if I don't get arrested for stalking, that is!