"Let’s party like it’s 1977” pronounced Griff Fender, one of the original vocalists of Darts, the doo-wop revival band who found success in the late seventies with a series of UK chart hits, as the band appeared at Leeds’ Brudenell Social Club for a sell out show.
When the singles charts were a mix of disco, punk and pop in 1977 Darts along with other groups such as Rocky Sharpe and the Replays were bringing back the sounds of the late fifties to the fore with their revivals of old hits.
Nearly fifty years on Darts are still going strong with the group containing many of the original line up with vocalists Rita Ray and Den Hegarty along with Griff Fender continuing to provide the strong vocals and harmonies that made Darts such a tempting proposition in the first instance, add to that intoxicating mix the vocals of Pikey Butler and the result was a winning one.
As the group arrived on stage to the soundtrack of the popular sixties television show, Thunderbirds it was indeed, all systems go. Despite the bands advancing years the energy, enthusiasm and note perfect harmonies were all hallmarks that were still intact from back in the day.
Dropping one of their big hits, Come Back My Love provided a reminder of when the band were a regular fixture on the much missed TV show, Top of the Pops. Rita Ray came to the fore on As Long as I’m Moving as the audience were swept away not just in nostalgia but how, like a fine wine, some things get even better with age.
Riot in Cell Block Block Number 9 took the audience back to their 1977 album as Den Hegarty took the opportunity to go in the prowl, cat like through the audience before the show took on an even higher level as the big hits followed in quick succession.
Boy From New York City and Daddy Cool/The Girl Can’t Help It were magnificently delivered the latter with a energetic romp before an acapella version of Goodnight Sweetheart on a night where Darts definitely hit the bullseye.
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Slayyyter played her take on Turnstile’s ‘Birds’ onstage for the first time in Atlanta. You can watch footage of the performance below.
Slayyyter is currently touring with her ‘Wor$t Girl In The World’ show. She added the cover to her set at The Eastern on Monday night (September 21).
She sang ‘Birds: Slayyyter Version’ near the end of the main set, following ‘Brittany Murphy’. She then came back for an encore featuring ‘Brand New Chanel$’ and ‘Beat Up Chanel$’.
It was her first live performance of the song. She originally recorded it for Turnstile’s ‘Never Enough: Versions’, a collection of reworked tracks released on August 28.
The 22 track release brings together new interpretations of songs from Turnstile’s fourth album. Contributors include Elton John, Hayley Williams, Blood Orange, A. G. Cook, Faye Webster, Four Tet, Oklou, Floating Points, Nourished By Time, Alex G, Julien Baker and Mustafa.
Panda Bear recorded a new take on ‘Magic Man’, while Dying Fetus gave ‘Birds’ another interpretation rooted in death metal.
See Slayyyter perform the track live and listen to her studio recording here:
Slayyyter trades the original song’s hardcore intensity for a bigger electronic sound that feels at home alongside her latest album, ‘Wor$t Girl In America’.
Turnstile first released ‘Birds’ on their 2025 album ‘Never Enough’. The song won Best Metal Performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards, where the album also won Best Rock Album.
In its five star review of ‘Never Enough’, NME pointed to ‘Birds’ and ‘Sole’ as reminders of Turnstile’s hardcore beginnings. It also praised the album for “furthering their unique, pop-facing take on hardcore”.
Slayyyter will join Turnstile on another stage next month. She and Die Spitz are set to support the band at the University of Kansas in Lawrence on October 6 for the ‘Never Enough Tour Pt. 2’.
It has been a big year for Slayyyter. Her third album, ‘Wor$t Girl In America’, came out in March, and NME’s review highlighted its mix of “brash, sleazy pop” and late 2000s indie sleaze sounds.
Last month, she performed Hole’s ‘Violet’ for triple J’s Like A Version. Courtney Love called the cover “a delight” and encouraged Slayyyter to “keep wiping the floors with us”.
A few weeks later, Slayyyter took ‘Wor$t Girl In America’ to Reading Festival. NME’s live review declared that there was “undoubtedly a star before us on stage” and praised her “rasped, rocked-up delivery” and growing confidence as a performer.
