Live Review

I have never seen so many spuds, pinheads and cases of true de-evolution for quite some time and last nights DEVO gig in North London was no exception. But of course you would expect this since Akrons finest jump-suited play-art-punksters have encouraged a little bit of outrage and theatre, bordering on the ridiculous and childish, for nigh on 3 decades. This quality was, and still is, part of their invincible charm hence the band deciding to perform their landmark Brian Eno-produced quirk-a-thon Virgin Records album from 1978, Are We Not Men...We Are Devo, in its entirety.

Those of you smart enough to have this excellent way-ahead-of-its-time collection will have noted that the running time is around 33 minutes long, so to pad out the rather steep ticket price, a pair of videos were wheeled out prior to the big moment versions of early single Jocko Homo and Secret Agent Man that did little more than stir the memory banks and starve the hunger...And so to the gig itself...Uncontrollable Urge might be familiar to players of the console music-gang-bang strut-out game, Rock Band (its featured in some versions) and it still manages to stand up as a cracking way to open an album (and tonights event). The awkward and off-kilter ska-kick of the Stones usually risible Satisfaction proved to be one of the nights many highlights along with Jocko Homo (this rendition encompassed a little of the original Stiff version), Mongoloid and Sloppy, the latter song earning the rightful award of rendition of the night. Fidgety riffing and theatrics cranked to the max.

A few songs became muddy in the mix Too Much Paranoias became a self-indulgent melange but just the right side of humorous, while Shrivel Up kind of disintegrated into the encore (blink and it was all gone). But for the few moments of disappointment (walking to the tube a mere 55 minutes after DEVO took to the stage being one of them), cracking renditions of Gut Feeling, Come Back Jonee and the spot-on choice of encores including my personal favourite Gates Of Steel (from the under-rated album Freedom Of Choice of 1980), marched this one-off night into the realms of you-had-to-be-there.

Special mention should go to the support band who reminded me of the absurd playing field that DEVO skipped about on some 30 years previously. Robots In Disguise delivered grin-tickling moments, not least the Gilbert & George noddy-dance ably displayed by the 2 bods dressed in 60s Robbie-robot costumes. I dont know what their songs were about (except possibly the song accompanied by a video showing said robots having an almighty gang-bang) but suffice to say the whole night was clearly memorable except for the 2 fools who I witnessed wasting the opportunity (and probably their ticket money) to the general good-natured night 1 being marched out by security for being so appallingly drunk he failed to explain to the guard who was 6 times his size that he was sober coupled with the worst slurring and vertically-challenged foot-shuffling ever (I.E. he was tankered), and the dope in the toilets who was locked in his cubicle coughing up his sphincter to the strains of Shrivel Up. How apt can a song be? To quote the line Its at the top of the list/that you cant get pissed...especially at gigs.

If only DEVO had played Social Fools and Penetration In The Centrefold (related from that era).... it may well have hit home a little more. Good gig though.