MEGA CITY BORE
MEGA CITY 4
NED'S ATOMIC DUSTBIN
DRIVE
LONDON ULU
THE DOORS have only just opened when Liverpudlians Drive take the stage,
unflustered by the lack of punters they go at it furiously. Howling
and roaring headstrong into every song, they make an inflamed noise.
The trouble is it just sounds like frustrated men releasing their tensions
loudly, there's no melody, just a convulsive rhythm that does your head
in after a while. Towards the end of their stint a sizeable crowd has
gathered, which seems to fuel Drive into their best moment. Bombastic
and played at a murderous speed, the song contains the catchy and winning
chorus of "F—— you, f—— me. F——
you, F——the USA" and is endowed with, what
seems to be, a speeded up version of that 'na na na na na Angus' AC/DC
riff. But this is a brief respite and Drive end as they began, thrashing
about wildly but heading in no particular direction.
Ned's Atomic Dustbin are better and give the crowd their first chance
to stagedive. It's still a fierce, and somewhat overwhelming, sound
but far more refined than Drive with a bit of the pop ethic thrown in.
Their stage show consists of running around a lot, while the singer,
a dead ringer for Glenn Hoddle but can't sing as well, flops about from
one foot to the other like a Sumo wrestler does before entering a bout.
They play their most famous tune, 'Kill Your Television', which is their
most appealing and most sing-along-able. The crowd love it, of course,
but they smell a bit and have huge chunks of their hair cut o'ut at
strategic places, so I wouldn't trust them.
'The Boys Are Back In Town' is Mega City Four's entrance call. I presume
they take their name from MC5 who used to shit on stage and spend most
of their waking hours toking down. Well MC4 don't seem to spend much
time toking but do allow their instruments to do the shitting. As much
as I admire their dogged perseverance of playing 900 gigs a year, where
has it got them? Not very far, and this is because they don't understand
the aesthetics of rock 'n roll, that's why I'd take The Manic Street
Preachers or even Birdland ahead of them. MC4 just look shit, there's
no glamour or sex involved, just honest heads down rocking. Which is
all very well and nice but ultimately boring.
I get the feeling I'm outnumbered here tonight, as the rammed full hall
goes mental, lapping it all up, but I'll get my revenge. One day when
these people wake up and realise that having a bad haircut and no taste
in music or clothes is a prerequisite for a life of shelf stacking at
Tesco's I'll be the bastard complaining 'cos I can't find the baked
beans. Hopeless.
Simon Dudfield