THE "OHMIGOD, I'M GOING TO LIVE TO REGRET THIS" ALMOST LIVE REVIEW PAGE...

IT was my own stupid fault, of course. There I was, spouting off in Le Pub about how the new FRUG! site was going to be all spontaneous, like. Ya know, reviews the same day they happen and all that?
Well, I'm nothing if I'm not consistent and reliable. Hey, just ask Newport Pentonville Magistrates Court... long story. Sigh... here goes, then...

HEADTEST, POP VANDALS and PHOTON TORPEDO at Le Pub 4.11.99

I'M in a celebratory mood.I've just got off the trumpiest of trumped-up charges in the history of courtdom (mebbe) and I'm ready to paaaaarty! I want to feel good to be alive, happy and free, dude! I've beaten THE MAN!!! The last thing, of course, that I need right now is an instant inconsiderate flashback to my youthful days - back when I was 20, shagging like a ferret up a greased pole to a King Kurt and Cramps soundtrack, and still easily impressed by the choreographed Dexys and Double Diamond nightclub violence that was, for wont of a more acceptable name, "chicken dancing".
DOH!
Photon Torpedo, our visitors from across the pond, are all of the above - with the exception of the celebratory bits.This is authentic psychobilly, though delivered with almost a little too much measured angst. Maybe it's just a little too authentic? Certainly, this is Kurt without the comedy, The Fuzztones without the freaky finesse, the Meteors without the menace. Sure, the boys play well - but maybe they try just a little too hard to impress a small crowd that patently couldn't give a major hoot. Furrowed brows are great, given their place - but this ain't the place. "This one is the title track from our CD. It's called 'It Came From Outer Space'."
Time out, guys. We've done Man... or ASTROman? and we've done Servotron. OK? Remember - we were ripping off Americans long before you thought of ripping off yourselves. Nice to see y'all, all the same.
And so to the Pop Vandals. Closer cousins, of sorts, from the South West - fellows from a shite land attempting - rather like the South Waleans - to break out into a less-shite land.
Here's a band that oozes spunkiness. Their guitarist - a Welshman, I'll have you know - reminds me of that splendid specimen from The Godfathers, such is his penchance for shaking his bloody bits about. Love it, fella, love it.