10.11.2002 - Sunderland, Sinatra's

Review by Leigh Sayers

Not a bad day to get out to Sinatra's and watch some reality TV or as he would say the "2-0 effect". The thin man is an advert for ace songwriting, passionate delivery and generally being a wonderful human being. Tonight he blasted out a brilliant set` of razor sharp acoustic punk before being joined by the deservedly popular 1977 for an explosive seven song finale.

When TV sings "One million pounds - I'd turn it down" you are inclined  to believe him. Honesty and integrity allied to bare-your- tonsils-to-the-world  punk attitude is a potent mixture, as his nineties' albums "Immortal Rich"  and "Generation Y" testify. 

For me this performance really came alive when he ripped into songs like "Only  One Flavour" and "My String Will Snap" from last year's "Useless"  album, recorded with German band Die Toten Hosen and the excellent "World  Just Got Smaller Again" and "The Future Used To Be Better" ("I'm  half way there and half way back/The world pissed on my purple patch")  from the E.P. recorded with Finland's Punk Lurex OK. Then to cap it all we are  treated to The Adverts' hits delivered with 1977 backing, TV's limbs flailing  all over the stage and the happy punks finally getting the chance to pogo. 

"Maybe I'll stop the rot/Maybe I'll cut it away/Maybe in the end I'll  say not a bad day"