Picture caption - The La's employ a subliminal advertising technique PUBLICATION - SOUNDS ORIGIN - UK DATE OF PUBLICATION - 8 April, 1989 SUBJECT - Live concert review, Kentish Town & Country Club, London, UK. TITLE - THE LA'ST LAUGH AUTHOR - David Cavanagh PHOTO - Liane Hentscher THE BEST thing about CND benefits is that everyone assumes you know why you're there. That way nobody has to make with the fatuous speeches along the lines of "You wouldn't credit what your tax is being spent on". Bands come on and play a few tunes and we all get to feel temperate outrage as well as having a good old bop. Not that the bop factor of The Darling Buds is anything to get ecstatic over. It will remain an impenetrable mystery to me why legions of seemingly bright youth invest in Andrea and her pals' timid, insipid arias when there are lots of perfectly good Blondie albums cluttering up the second hand racks. 'Hit The Ground' is a prime example of a song going nowhere slowly, to the embarrassment of all concerned. When the already filtered supply of inspiration finally runs out, Andrea starts singing 'Always Something There To Remind Me'. Sandie Shaw, who had a chart smash with said song in 1964, has a sight more energy, character and general non-aligned chutzpah to offer than the Buds, but still manages to lose her way in some freeform scat antics that show a marked Morrissey influence. Somehow she contrived to make a mess of 'Hand In Glove', which we'd all thought impossible. The La's not only saved the show, they wrapped it up and took it home with them. There is nothing but awe to express for a band who can tap into 'Help'-period Beatles brio, wait four numbers before getting the harmonies together, and then hit it so right you think you're at a benefit for The Perpetuation Of The Three-Minute Pop Song (As Writ by Lennon And The Other Feller). 'Way Out' and 'There She Goes', the two singles, are delivered by singer/guitarist Lee Mavers with the sort of supreme confidence not seen since Ian McCulloch first came out from under his haircut. He is so oblivious to any cavils the crowd may have (none, as it happened), he leaves the thank yous to Paul Power at the bass. All four La's, including new drummer and former Icicle Worker Chris Sharrock, nod to themselves as they chime and twang. Pop music, with Summerhill and The La's to play it, may have a pink and noisy future yet. And let's hope they keep the arrogance that fuels the 14 minute closer,  'Lookin glass'.     It finishes in freakout. "Sound", opines Paul. You said it, la. DAVID CAVANAGH