Melody Maker: TOWN & COUNTRY CLUB

"WHO'S on first? Oh, it's Sinead... no, Siobhan... her that's shacked up with Dave Stewart." That's fame for you. Bottom of the bill at the Greenpeace Benefit, this is the first British performance by Shakespear's Sister, staring ex-Bananarama person Siobhan Fahey. I test, eight out of ten people agreed that if anything was amiss with the recent 'Nana happenings it was that "Shove" was missing. She'd been everyone's favourite 'Nana. But hey! Give the girl a break! She's got a new band now so let's forget the past and get a glimpse of the future. At first it's hard to tell which girl is Shove. Three take the stage, two with waist lenght black hair. One of these is Siobhan. She looks different. The set begins with some pleasant strumming on Marcella' beautiful hand-painted guitar and the three girls singing harmoniously, Shove was a newly acquired baritone lilt. Then KAPOW! Four blokes appear from nowhere and begin to rock the joint. Marcella throws down her lovely guitar and lets loose some appaling screeches, Shove looks like a true rock an' rawl chick and her flimsy pink dress keeps falling down. Imagine Fenella Fielding sining "The Acid Queen" from "Tommy" in a falsetto. It's godawful. And so it continues. On and on. I was dumb enough to think naming themselves after a Smiths song would be some kinda quality test. I was horribly mistaken. These are hammy rock dirges, doubtless inspired by Shove's mister. Morrissey would have wept openly. BOB STANLEY.

Last Updated: 23rd October, 2001