sub-sonic

Here are some of the facts. Palladium formed last September, acquaintances through grueling tours on the session musician circuit. They make music that is epic, joyful and ludicrous, bringing to mind things that you love, and things that might make you feel rather uneasy: Pink Floyd, The Police, Fleetwood Mac's 'Tango In The Night', Steely Dan, Toto, Stevie Wonder, Hall & Oates and The Who in the early 70's. Better still, they wear some of the oddest clothes on earth: tweed jackets, flowery shirts, dangly earrings, bleached hair and golf visors (yep, all at once). On paper they sound like the worst band on earth, right? But then who ever enjoyed a band on paper?

Skip back to September 2006 and Palladium – consisting of Peter, Rufio, Fez and Rocky - are playing their first gig in, of all places, a Caribbean restaurant. It's a last-minute arrangement so the band make up for the fact they've never played together by, umm, dressing as Peter Pan in drag. A few months later, and they had transformed into a well-oiled, synth-laden stadium pop machine. Virgin snapped them up instantly.
"People think we're lucky, that everything fell into place for us," reckons Fez. "But we've been grafting as individual players all our life. When everyone was out having fun, I was in my bedroom like a loser, trying to be the best. We've been doing gigs since we were kids, that's why it clicked so quickly."
Getting some songs together was next on the to-do list.
"We always wanted it to sound huge," says Rufio. "So when people came to see a show they couldn't deny it was a massive experience. We'd all played in bands where it was soulless and nobody cared - you were supposed to look disinterested. But we wanted to be completely involved. Even if you're playing a tiny venue it had to sound like a stadium gig."
From Miracle's ridiculously ecstatic 80's rock chorus to Hi 5's tale of cheating on a smarmy man ("I guess he won't be giving any more high fives, 'cos I'm making sweet, sweet love to her tonight"), these are songs that are simultaneously hilarious and yet designed to be played at Wembley stadium. As Rufio puts it: "You're either gonna sing along or walk away."
"Some people come thinking that we're not credible," admits Fez. "But then the songs are so powerful that they can't help liking it. Even though they pretend that they want to be alternative and don't like pop music, they can't lie to themselves. You see those who are sceptical at the start of the gig but by the end they've lost their inhibitions and they're going insane."

Insane is the word. Palladium fans – a diverse bunch including Amy Winehouse, Mystery Jets and Get Cape Wear Cape Fly – have connected with something cathartic, an antidote to the safe, try-hard indie scene.

"If you're confining yourself to a certain scene then when that dies you will die as well," says Rufio. "Whereas the great innovators branched out, away from what was cool."
"A lot of bands are drawing too much from what's around them now, but if you wanna be great you've got to ignore fashion" adds Peter.

In any normal band, Peter – an androgynous frontman with a penchant for sparkly shoes and gold chains – would stand out as a flamboyant character. Growing up in Yorkshire, Leicester and Essex, he was raised on his Dad’s music collection and swiftly developed a fondness for Swedish prog group Focus and, umm, playing the cornet. Realising that there aren’t many Essex prog acts with vacancies for cornet players, Peter escaped to London, using a place at music college as a front for his chance to play in bands on the London gig circuit. Like we said, in any other band he’d be a flamboyant character. In Palladium, though, he’s one of four frighteningly unique personalities. On guitar you have Rostaz Fez, a 19 year old guitar genius from Hackney who spent his childhood trying to match Hendrix. He wears aviator shades, plays guitar solos at 2,554,327 miles per hour and will be a cult hero by this time next year. Then there's Rocky – maybe the only Rocky to have sprung from a tiny Welsh town outside Cardiff – who spent his childhood failing school exams because he was too busy bashing drums. His mum won't be seen out with him thanks to his dress sense. Completing the set is Rufio, 21, the son of an eccentric portrait painter who wears a golf visor onstage because "playing so many different keyboards at one time has a sporting element to it". Watching four crackers pop musicians vying for attention with a sensory overload of head-banging, guitar-riffin' and unusual headware shows most other bands up for being painfully dull.

"All the great bands were like that," reasons Peter. "That's what a band should be. Nowadays we're used to seeing the Razorlight situation, with just one strong personality, but that's no fun for the listener. We're a proper band. Everyone's got something to give and something different about them. That's why we're fun to watch."

Until, of course, the stylists get hold of them and make them look like every other identikit indie band, right?
"That will never happen!" says an indignant Rocky. "That's what we always said we wouldn't do."

Fez: "We have put ourselves out there. We're not hiding anything. It’s up to people to decide whether they love us or hate us. What we don’t want is indifference.”

Do you feel brave?

Rufio: "Not really, because when you're onstage you feel kind of invincible. Not in an arrogant way, but when you're playing there's the sense that it's all or nothing."

Peter shakes his head: "It's not all or nothing! With Paladium, it's all or all."

Rocky nods: "There is no plan B."

So where are Palladium heading? Let's just say that they picked their name because of its rhyming qualities. A barrage of positive vibes, delivered by four supernaturally talented musicians who look like they got lost in a fancy dress cupboard? Wasn't rock'n'roll always supposed to be about breaking the rules?

Like any band, they are a fusion of different traditions. Disappointingly for them, Palladium attracts an audience who are looking for an eye candy boy band, but their heart and soul is prog rock. They are Pink Floyd in Boyz Own clothing; torn between two urges. The tension of disparate forces is palpable on stage.

They are best when they are true to themselves when they get down and dirty with their feedbacky guitar solos, thumping bass and pummelling drums. Rostas Fez, the Brian May guitarist look a like is the best thing about this bunch. Drummer Rocky Morris on the other hand demonstrated a master class of how not to keep rhythm. Lead singer Peter Pepper pouted and posed and looked the part, winking at his eager disciples. Let’s not talk about the keyboardist.

This band are clearly work in progress, but given that The Zodiac, is such a splendid place to see and hear bands, it is simply the best room in the whole of Oxford, it was a fun night. There was nothing new to see or hear this evening, but with solid guitarwork and enthusiasm to burn these boys are worth watching.

Mick Conmy
bbc.co.uk