The Next Big Thing

A late Monday for a school night reiterates the fact that I’m too old for this. Although signs in some of the sounds would indicate that I could be travelling through a timeslip. One look at the back of Mojo and the fact that much of the “music” on show tonight is firmly rooted circa when I came in to the fray during the early 70’s.

Ultimate Thrush yada yada have a long, long name. This isn’t necessary and first impressions suggest that they’re Los Murky without the charisma. They go on and on in some kind of studied melee and they have an album out on Chemikal Underground that I really don’t need to hear.

Next up - Holy Mountain. A hairy three piece that apparently includes a guy from Idlewild. I sort of warmed to them when, at the end – they teetered on the brink of BOC and whipped out a little Skynyrd frisson. I’m hoping that they recognise the fact that this is daft. Mighty riffs are capable of great magic sometimes and this amalgam of Sabbath, Black Widow, Led Zep, Taste and the Nuge actually works to a degree. If they looked like Guitar Wolf then they could rule the world.

Which brings we to that very beast. As a concept, the Wolf is brilliant. Theoretically crossing The Cramps with The Ramones and then whapping them into a blender with some serious stoner tendancies is something you’d like to hear. But it all comes back to songs and these guys don’t really have any. Even as an experience, with the volume – the “lock and loll” begins to grate. Mickey asked me if I heard the bit of “Kick out the Jams” and had to admit that I didn’t. Oh there were little elements of all sorts but we couldn’t help pondering that if Guitar Wolf morphed with Holy Mountain’s riff ammo then truly we might have something.

As it is, sadly we don’t.