28 Record Mirror, March S, 1980 brlel hearing I've seen them do by far, mlttedly - managed was thankfully remedied but they to debut rescue an otherwise - with their splendid POST -OP PETTY single 'Talking Pictures', disastrous evening In the Now I've had the op- closing moments, PETE portunity to sample the ESCREET DOING FINE collective works of The self -description, with the Solos, the single seems to MADNESS of what they TOM PETTY AND THE Heartbreakers' brand a joy to behold. mirror most Club 57, New York HEARTBREAKERS Visually. there's been a mellowing seem to offer. Birmingham Odeon down; Petty no longer living up to the In short; a musical make AFTER BEING regaled braggadocio persona of last time round up of style and Inven- with tales of how electric and concentrating on professionalism. tiveness which is so Im- the previous night's show FOR a recent tonsllectomy victim, 'Even The Losers', 'I Need To Know' and mediate?y apparent. vi- had been, a, merely profi- Tom's shouting as well as singing voice a fairly even selection of other stuff sions of a handful of cient set by Madness was was In sublimely A -One order "Ah'm from all three albums were reproduced hopeful and frustrated disappointing. not on drugs or anything," he grinned note -perfect and It wasn't until the more musicians trudging They were good, too, knowingly al the first audience of his familiar 'American Girl' and 'Refugee' around hole - In - the - wail but throughout the show tour, "Ah just figure we're gonna be that they started to relax and really look excuses for venues is friends who'd been at the heah ah long taaam tonight!" as it they were enjoying themselves. hard to imagine. one - time Polish Dance Cool, pure southern cool, a quality 'Breakdown' had him acting Even In a support slot, and Union Hall the night to have out the cleverly enough controlled part following a drawling, dry -humoured as soon The Solos take before kept coming over provided America with her lines) hand - Intro to 'Listen To Her Heart' while the stage their carefully to tell me how much better stitched star of the late seventies. guitarist Mike measured arrogance hits they'd been How the What's by Campbell delivered some more, especially Stateside stunning solos, you: If this is something room had taken on a pulse the Image is notably on an extended standards hardly contrived. interpretation of the Islay Brothers' they have in fact perfected as maddeningly deliberate since it's supported musically lo the Nth 'Shout'. from plodding around as Madness's own degree, particularly on slower, soulful 'Too Much Ain't Enough' was another those venues, it's pay off I'm left, alas, with repor- numbers like 'Fooled Again (1 Don't Like gem, before the band delved Into the - time. ting on a show that had all tip, a masterpiece of tasteful restrain. past for some The most appetising fac- the right elements but that For openers, numbers more usually however, there's associated with characters as diverse as tor of The Solos's work is never reached much of an 'Shadow Of A Doubt', a more archetypal Lulu, Bobby Mks class there's no excitement level. They Petty Fuller and the Dave Clark the - tune coloured by three decades of Five. Just like he was into Motown other word for it - of Fred- were their usual dancing, Influences, the main one being country. before Costello knew a shake from a die King's outstanding jumping selves The basic Elsewhere, the bias is alternately tilted Tango, Petty's recorded vocals, ska rhythms were punc- towards RaB, sixties version of 'I pop. early Stones Fought The Law' predated that of So, II you're looking for tuated with occasional and even mid -period Dylan, The particularly Clash by a good few months. a bit more than another rock and roll songs and In Benmont Tench's spiralling keyboard The of souped up, figures. latter, in fact, was the umpteenth selection vocalist Graham McPher- encore at the end of a set whose length su rburban speed freaks, son and saxman Lee In fact, the band would be hard- fulfilled the earlier semi -stoned try Solos, BILLY Thompson had their pressed to plead originality, but They promise. Too Much ain't enough? SLOAN e counterpointing leads cover their tracks pretty well. 'Anything Without a shadow of a doubt) MIKE perfectly matched 'n' Roll'? A TOM PETTY That's Rock great piece of NICHOLLS DEXY'S MIDNIGHT They played most of 'One Step Beyond' and RUNNERS led my own partiality to merged' with Frith and Top Rank, Birm- SAXON U2 'My Girl', 'In The Middle Of Gabriel and you're In the Ingham The Night' and 'Tarzan's Marquee, London National Stadium, vicinity. Then U2 are so Nuts' quite sufficiently. Dublin much their own band as to THE SOUND of muzak And had the clap much of the WHEN THEY are repor defy descrltpion In so use to anyone. JOHN LEE material was taken froth fades audience crowd bopping along with ding, Saxon like to lake PLAYING THE major - sparse a report. the new album due out in and cheer on cue. There is them (and, naturally, a surge the a their entire backline Into venue In your .home town So U2 saw the stuka dive April. Piercy, resplendent to stage by cheering by set's end so to a set that includes what in a and red Gary mass of mohalrs, black the studio that they can when you've yet to sign in- AFTER I blue even if the response had could a self - descrip- THE FIRE / whites, skins get a good feel of the ternationally could be be Human outfit, enjoyed and parkas, been lukewarm tive encore, 'The Electric THE HITMEN and schooikids. You name only sound they're making. presumed a recklessly himselfmsell8ni, gJ,yense/y 3s 15ev earlier). Company' and their Irish II, II was here. When they're on stage self - confident venture. I can't even tell you singles 'Out Of Control' All for a band who play the audience gets a very Furthermore U2 are play- precisely what was miss- and 'Another Day'. Their's black American soul In the good feel of the sound. It's ing in a city whose less in- ' n g . Maybe they the right formed fans have is a music of boundless style of the sixties white word, It's the sort outstretching and even like themselves were In- of sound that is almost notorlously depended on wtio diverzeT Tr gig in . í}iwFg , , asaion ai Ire boy soul Outfits timidated by how good foolhardy exhilaration. It is Blue tangible. It covers you, it the seal of approval from Leicester Square wearing most immediate of all Georgie Fame's they'd been the night not for premature cynics. fancy dress on Thursday 'Starllight'I Replacement Flames, the Zoot Money can almost be grasped UK media like Top Of The I'm I wasn't in When they re-enter Bri- Big Roll Band and before. sorry a a Pops. It could have been a the reward was a limited drummer Mick Brother - Cliff 'iu pieces. On good tain; It will be Instructive to there IRA MAYER night you want to take {tin disaster, It wasn't. edition After The Fire wood fitted In well whilst Bennett's Rebel Rousers. find how many romantics They produce a your hands and tuck bits A thousand arrived and single. For those who Memory- Banks dragged big fat remain. BILL GRAHAM et ar a r -r 6 brassy sound, driving hard 01 It into your pockets to were persuaded of U2's THE SUGARHILL calibre that the band are and full of confidence, GANG take home and unleash In best exemplified on your living room. no longer just,- club cop- THROBBING GRIS- The Venue, London tenders. UD entered the 'Dance Stance'. Done live, The Marquee was a hall and made it their own. TLE you miss the lyrics which WHEN A one - hit band good night. Great solid a I Leeds Fan Club Z'ummTge, whist stan- wTd .rom the Deginning, are potted history of hits town for the first time, chunks of heavy metal could be scrupulous in ding a Stratocaster away as always an evening with lamous Irish' people especially a one - hit disco were and my criticism. The sound carved out weld- was over bassy, Bono's NOISE. IN the eighties to the left was a Jimi Hen- After The Fire Is entertain- (Oscar Wilde, Edna band, It's wise to expect ed together by This five everyone will be drix effigy. The evening ing. The After The Fire fan O'Brien, Brendan Behan) the worst. band and then gestures sometimes were piece In the less com- Humanoid for a period promised to be interesting club grinds on presumably but the song picked up The Sugarhlll Gang turn- despatched into the au- dissipated - pressed setting and the to be electronic - to be whether the bands were gaining members in their points on the high level fox - ed out to be a collective dience. road crew's audience modern but not mod - to the emotion and feeling noun for the whole band, Loud? Of course they treatment was erratically be dated is to be un- put into It. and for some 30 minutes II were loud. Who ever inexperienced, though fortunate. Unfortunately no was all backing and no heard of a good rock band hardly dangerous.