I battled bravely through the tube strike, eager to hear Miles for the first time in 2 years.

I thought Cable were very impressive, despite poor sound mix. Martin was very pleased with their performance.

At the risk of upsetting everyone.....

Then came Vent 414.............

I don't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. Vent 414 sure wear their influences on their sleeves. I saw 3 English guys trying their best to sound like their favourite US bands Shellac, GVSB, Stanford, Quicksand etc., but failing. I honestly don't think that Miles vocal style is suited to this type of sound. Pete carried the set, often playing "lead drums", with lots of the tracks built around his playing. Morgan was also excellent. But there was no SONGS. Lynn said that she doesn't think many TWS fans will like this and I would have to agree. One of TWS greatest strength was Miles's briliant vocals but this style of fast slow stop start thrash sing stop start just didn't gel.

The US bands listed above sound rawer, more PUNK ROCK, Vent 414 didn't have that edge, that hunger. Sure they had a couple of OK tracks but I was disapointed on the whole.

Talking to friends afterwards I was assured that they grow on you, time will tell but they did admit that out of the 4 times they've seen them, this was the best.

OK I'm ready, hit me with your best !!!!

This year we've had the Pistols cabareting their way round Finsbury Park, Sumner and Marr disappointing us and David Bowie prancing round with Mr. Tony Blair. And here's another, if less anticipated, pop exhumation. True, the corpse of Miles Hunt, be-checked-of-strides Wonder Stuff singer amd former TV, er, personality, isnt't quite as fetid as some of the above but he's doing his best to change all that.

So ignore the sighting of Vic Reeves by the bar and abandon all hope of a quick spin through 'Dizzy' for old times' sake. The bouncy vibes have vacated the area and, apart from a quick barb at a hapless spliff smoker who invades his "nasal space", Hunt isn't even the entertaining gobshite of old. He might be joined up by Senseless Things' Morgan on bass and Blobbo from Eat on drums, but give up any thoughts of a fraggle supergroup (in the loosest possible sense).

Instead, they make execrable funk-metal that the worst poodle-haired, Spandex-cocked exponents of the LA scene would baulk at. Imagine the Chilli Peppers without the dumb-ass humour, socks, or (very) occasional way with a tune, and add buckets of brickbat guitars, pointless thrashing and the kind of drum-play Animal from The Muppets would discount as a little too excessive.

Then forthcoming single 'Fixer' adds folky noodlings to the acrid broth and it soon becomes apparent that without the Stuffies' pop, Hunt's voice is more annoying than the entire career of Greg Proops. Obviously they're called Vent so that Miles can air all the horrible rock tendencies he previously wasn't allowed. But what about the 414? That's the number of fans they deserve. If you're feeling generous. Demise of a cow.

Review by Jim Alexander