w/ CAZALS
LONDON, BRIXTON ACADEMY / THE END: 21.03.05
As Oscar Wilde once quipped ‘The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about’ & after the explosive events of Nas’s Brixton Academy show, this is more relevant than ever for Queensbridge’s finest. A regular show to coincide with the release of the new single ‘Just a Moment’ descends into chaos after shots are fired from the centre of the crowd (metres behind where I was stood myself) which sparks mass hysteria as punters scatter to avoid being caught up in the crossfire. Most of whom are later found cowering in the Ladies loos for some bizarre reason…You couldn’t make it up could you?
I fully realise the irony of shots ringing off at the big bad Gangsta-Rap show, but the fact that the single being released on the same day (‘Just a Moment’) is an anti-violence diatribe aimed at unifying projects torn apart by the mindless violence unfortunately exhibited here tonight makes events all the more poignant. To be fair, facts aren’t helped by Nas dropping ‘Made You Look’ with its firearm sound effects and "They Shootin’ " refrain directly after the incident. But enough of focusing on the negative (I promised myself I wouldn’t resort to lazy journalism & just focus on that incident…well, fuck you I’m a lazy journalist). The show up to that point had been a little uninspiring to be frank, although glimmers of the old Queensbridge magic shine, namely in live outings for the Illmatic classics, which are thoughtfully condensed into a smart bitesize twenty minutes. It almost seems as though Nasty is trying to get the classics out of the way apparently forgetting that everything released after Illmatic pales in comparison. The gig fizzles instead of burns which is a shame as I know Nas has the vocal gasoline to spark the songs into life (Christ I can knock out a duff metaphor now and then).
Abandonment of the show & the distinctly unwelcome appearance of armed po-lice leads to a sharpish retreat to the End in West Central Street just in the nick of time for Cazals. These four Lahndahn lads are riding on a high at the mo thanks to welcome endorsements from the fashion mag illuminati & boyee is it deserved. Taking the Richard Hell/Tom Verlaine NY rawk blueprint and morphing it with their bare hands into hideous new shapes Phil, Luca, Dan, Warren and Martin Cazal are ‘Saving East London from identikit poseurs’ (Dazed & Confused). Phil’s vocals fall a little flat at times & an unfortunate lack of semi-automatic weapon fire (kidding) are my only minor beefs in an otherwise cloudless sky. Refreshing!
Review by James Williams
www.iamnas.com
www.cazals.co.uk
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