January 23, 2008 9:59

Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner plays secret gig with Lightspeed Champion

Rascals, Fred Les and Ipso Factor join Dev Hynes' indie supergroup

Photo Gallery: Lightspeed Champion
Photo: Andy Willsher

Lightspeed Champion marked the launch of his debut album last night (January 22) by recruiting a indie supergroup for a secret gig in London.

Rather than play songs from his LP 'Falling Off The Lavender Bridge' (released on January 21), Dev Hynes instead fronted a band featuring Arctic Monkeys' frontman Alex Turner, The Rascals' Joe Edwards, Ferry Gouw from Semifinalists, Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man mainman Fred Les and members of Ipso Facto.

Watched by the likes of The Horrors, Kelly Osbourne, Florence And The Machine and the rest of The Rascals, the band played a set of "indie hit" covers at club night White Heat in Soho venue Madam Jojo's.

Calling themselves the Pun Lovin’ Criminals, the group took to the stage asking "Who wants to hear some indie?" before opening with a thrashy version of the The Von Bondies' 'C'mon C'mon'.

Interpol's 'Slow Hands' followed, with The Walkmen's classic 'The Rat' maintaining up the New York theme.

The Vines - "from way back in 2001" according to Hynes - then got the same treatment with a cover of their single 'Get Free', before Hynes went back to Interpol, producing a White Stripes-esque drums-and-guitar-only version of 'NYC'.

Turner and Rascals bassist Edwards then took to the stage.

After a brief delay to set up their equipment, the supergroup performed their most accomplished cover of the evening, a storming version of The Strokes' 'Reptilia' led by the Arctic Monkeys singer.

The Pun Lovin' Criminals played:

'C'mon C'mon'
'Slow Hands'
'The Rat'
'Get Free'
'NYC'
'Reptilia'