Trash ‘N’ Flash
Article published in NME, 27th November 1982
The Undertones | Gig Review | Brixton 1982 (Ace Cinema) | HERE IN the TV studio that is the Ace, we have two slightly off-centre pop consciousness bands playing for a slightly off-centre TV channel. “Four . . . ” and we duck our heads as cameras pan round to a stage where an obvious television authority figure dutifully shouts, “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome . . . “
From Weekend‘s crudely, kiddie style, painted backdrop of a couple out strolling in the park with a prancing dog in the green foreground, to sweet, demure vocalist Alison onto the sparse musical backing, it’s clear that simplicity is their key. Theirs is truly a Sunday sound; sonorous and hazy with subtle, submerged rhythms and dozy harmonies.
After a while it becomes slightly insidious as their pop takes on a more tense, nervous-lullaby quality without which there would be a danger of tedium setting in. As it is, their sweetly shaded melancholia, with an odd rock-a-cha number thrown in, is a fine sound track to dream the night away with.
The Undertones | Gig Review | Brixton 1982
But, from the balmy to the barmy as that well known actor Feargal Sharkey, and his merry men take to the stage. Young Feargal starts as he means to goon — he jestingly cajoles both the band and the crowd, he drinks some beer, he shakes some hands and from then on, with this football mob of an audience, The Undertones can do no wrong.
It’s not altogether surprising as their forte is being “the perfect pop band” with chords, choruses, guitar-runs and harmonies (ooh-aah) all placed in exactly the right position to obtain maximum thrill mileage.
It may all be a bit calculated but their good humoured raucousness is enough to carry the day. The set is quite eclectic these days with sources drawn from early rock’n’roll, Beach Boys, Beatles, garage and punk—all dressed up in the usual Undertones lurcharma. And part of the spectacle are, of course, the old ‘hits’ most of which are played tonight, including the obligatory ‘Teenage Kicks’ and the gritty ‘You’ve Got My Number’. It’s these songs that the crowd are here for and their response to them is suitably abandoned.
The new material is received in a more restrained manner, although I’m sure these songs will grow. In these days of the slick and glossy chart the Undertones have come up with some smoother, and in the long run, stronger stuff that may take, ooh . . . at least one and a half listens before the catchiness hits home.
The new single ‘Love Parade’ is a quirky, sixties plastic psychedelia organ drenched number that should rise and rise — it’s a good card to pull out of the sleeve after the recent failures.
‘My Crisis’ shouts Feargal almost in response, but its OK ’cause as everyone knowns, the worst thing that could happen in The Undertones’ world is the appearance of a big zit on the night of a heavy date.
Yes, the ‘Tones are still here singing about boys and girls — still trash but with, if I may say so, a lot more flash.
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