D4 - Brighton Centre Point, 10/7/2002
by Julia Willis
published: 13 / 7 / 2002
intro
Garage punks D4 recently concluded a two week British tour. In the first of two reviews of the tour, Julia Willis finds energy infectiously "high", but originality "low" at a Brighton show
Crackling… as the needle hits the record on the jukebox… Sunday Monday Happy Days! Tuesday, Wednesday Happy Days! Good. Clean. Fun. Wholesome grins of sheer delight at this rock n roll fad sweeping the nation. Oh those crazy kids…. Ha ha ha… Down in Brighton, I’m breathing good clean sea air. The venue’s clean and heck, even the toilets are clean… I look around, incredulous… This ain’t rock n roll, motherfucker. I’ve been transported to a parallel universe where rock music’s catchy and grinning’s obligatory… AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Gimme sweat pouring from a testosterone junkie of a singer ! Gimme beer spraying from the lips of a frantic drummer ! Gimme groupies baying for blood and the chance to cavort and grind panting in a grimy toilet cubicle. The music’s screaming YES! But my mind is saying no… The cliches are there but my heart isn’t in it and it all seems vaguely familiar… Yodelling tales from the good time garage punk textbook rather than yelling over-wrought emotion they want to look, sound and be like their rock heroes. Energy is high where originality is low but… it’s just so infectious. As the crowd warm up, the band overheat and the formulaic think-you’ve-heard-it-before? makes you smile, reminds you of the good times and sure it’s a little early Supergrass, a little AC/DC, The Rolling Stones and a little Jon Spencer but it’s LOUD and it’s driving and they love it up there and the front two rows know all the goddamed words. Yeah! The drummer baring his torso, the bassist teetering on top of a speaker stack and the two guitarist/singers spitting and sweating and kneelin’ on the floor they invite everyone onstage to dance, take the microphone. They swirl around with beer in one hand and the crowd in the palm of the other… Hey! This IS rock n roll, motherfucker. The photographs that accompany this article were taken by Matthew Williams
Picture Gallery:-
interviews |
Interview (2002) |
New Zealand group D4 have been meeting with much acclaim recently with their blend of Heartbreakers and Stooges inspired breakneck punk. Vocalists Dion and Jimmy talk to Mark Rowland backstage at a recent London gig about their debut album '6twenty' |
live reviews |
London Garage, 12/7/2002 |
In the second of our D4 live reviews of this month, Mark Rowland at a show in London finds the New Zealand punks to be the ultimate live experience |
reviews |
Party (2002) |
"Fun' second single from New Zealand garage rockers, the D4 |
6twenty (2002) |
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