Gig review: Big Audio Dynamite

Published on Thursday 31 March 2011 20:32

BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE ABC, GLASGOW **

WHEN Clash guitarist Mick Jones formed Big Audio Dynamite in the mid-80s, their music was hailed as a brave new fusion of pop, rock, rap and reggae, making liberal use of sampling at a time when hip-hop had yet to make an imprint on the pop mainstream. It was a shrewd move, sustaining the rebel spirit of The Clash, along with elements of their love of reggae and early rock'n'roll, but adding a party rhythm to create a distinct musical identity. But it all sounds terribly dated now.

At least there was no doubt that this B.A.D. reunion was a purely nostalgic encounter. This was only their second gig since reforming and, sadly, it showed. A tentative opening rendition of Medicine Show lacked impact and, at times, tunefulness.

The band stumbled on jovially. Jones was sweet and playful, wingman Don Letts effortlessly cool even in his janitor chic, but the ramshackle charm could not compensate for the emasculating sound mix, which thrust their rudimentary vocal chants to the fore without the quaking bass of the sound system for robust back-up.

In addition, this was a warts-and-all set, reflecting how the band ran out of ideas as their tenure wore on. There was no shortage of infectious, upbeat melodies, such as the catchy bubblegum rap Bad, which were pleasant but throwaway. The perky but cheesy C'Mon Every Beatbox, borrowing generously from Eddie Cochran, at least upped the energy levels and the group warmed up sufficiently in time to deliver a more powerful encore of their first two singles, The Bottom Line and debut hit E=MC2. But overall this was one nostalgia trip which might have been better left as a fond memory.