Alan Coleman

The D4. Up there with the best of the right now they have the sideburns and guitar action to epitomise was is great about the new resurgence in Rock & Roll. 13 examples of effortless axe driven bliss with obvious influences thrown in, not only for good measure, but also maybe because it sounds ace. That’s a good enough reason right? The good ‘ole days were good weren’t they? For Rock and Roll, I mean wasn’t really there but this stinks of Hendrix, The Jam and a million other early 80’s skinny shouters that only my mate Fat Colin has heard of.

There’s wailing guitar solos, there’s Status Quo, there’s lyrics about ‘Oh yeah’ and ‘Saturday night’ and ‘Show me what you got’ and ‘Nine to fivers’. However with all that stuff it remains as relaxed as a leather clad biker with a mullet, it looks menacing but a closer inspection reveals a head nodding stoner.

The indulgence in ‘Rebekah’ is a classic example of how the air guitar needs to be played on this record, laid back but with purpose and fun. And to think I missed this lot with the Bellrays and Datsuns when they played up the road, like Duh!

It’s always good getting hold of a debut album, it doesn’t have to live up to anything and there’s the feeling that it hasn’t been heard before, or at least its not going to be more of the same. More importantly while that ‘more of the same’ is selling in truck loads for £13.99, this little baby is little more than £6. Yes six quid, and that includes two full length videos for PC. Value for money has never sounded so good, especially with ‘Get loose’ which is worth the money in its own right.
Magnificent.

Prior to the gig I’d read a review by a local BBC Yorkshire correspondent whose name thankfully now eludes me. His main complaint was lack of melody and too much noise, this proved to be utter bollocks within the first few bars of the first number. If by noise he means a hard on making wall of Rickenbacker induced feedback then he is right, but you can never have to much eh? And melody? A grotesque word at the best of times, think George Martin or whatever.

The Parkinsons glisten from the waist up like featherweight boxers as they throw themselves into the set with football hooligans of enthusiasm. The lead singer, teenage skinny with as much energy, charges into the audience staring ahead like a deranged lunatic, the mic lead runs out so he keeps pulling until the mic comes off. The answer? Hitting himself on the head with it, of course! Like a 5 year old Iggy he cavorts and thrusts just about every limb in to every part of the audience, jumping on the bar, climbing the lighting rig and shaking his arse like a monkey on heat.

The staggered viewers are entwined and rounded up in mic cable as the band coat the stage in phlegm, lager and sweat, It’s screaming mayhem and its fucking ace. Not only are they lapping up every millisecond second, they are believing in the music with a magnificent aura of love, warmth and appreciative opportunism. The confidence to back such bravado is drawn from a fantastic set of simply crafted tracks that are played with consummate expertise, they sit in the head in an simple manner and yes, there’s tunes in every track Mr BBC man but there obviously lost on you.

The anticipation is electric. The boundless energy and noise is almost to much as it rockets forward at bullet pace, pushed on by an awesome guitar charging out ferocious blues riffs and sing alongs with distant but beautiful ease. The guitar is masterful and I’m properly transfixed by him screaming the words to every track with grins and vengeance, that’s when he’s not lying on his back in the audience. It’s all over with smiles in under an hour and the encore is the latest single, then that’s it because the old but new drummer doesn’t know any more tracks.
Gig of the year? Oh yes, drink and drug fuelled punk excess at its finest, I actually felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Evidence my friends, should it ever be needed, that not only is Satan himself is into rock and roll, but that he will use it to posses the soul of all those brave enough to indulge. Thanks, just when I was beginning to lose faith.

George Bush Juniors outrageously selfish approach to the Kyoto Treaty was only the start, if you like, just testing the water of political confrontation on an international level before jumping in with blind ignorance.

Now it seems we have arrived at that point where his unpleasant small persons syndrome ceases to be just aggravating and becomes far more sinister. Presenting an agenda that has potentially horrific outcomes for concepts surrounding global stability and peace.

Now Iraq is no longer in favour with the Bush household, or rather, it’s on the wrong side of their personal and greed orientated business interests. Its society’s most vulnerable will pay the price for the antics of Bush and Hussein, undeniably two of the worlds worst leaders. Note also that they are both undemocratically elected.

The Americans weren’t clever enough to find Osama Bin Laden, a figure conveniently forgotten about in the fight against terrorism. That part of the fight the Americans lost, along with the lives of thousands of innocent Afghans.

So the attention turns to an easier target, a tried and tested victim with less mountains and easier access for vehicles and ordnance. In a spiteful show of opportunism Bush Jnr can now settle a score for Daddy whilst at least winning something.

The thing is, having ‘No quarrel’ with the Iraqi people is no excuse for executing them in their tens of thousands, as it wasn’t in Afghanistan, Libya or Iraq when the old man was in charge.

Killing a nations innocent is no way to seek retribution from a dictator, their consciences don’t really work in that manner, beside that did Bush learn nothing from Reagan’s futile assault on Tripoli?

Furthermore, whilst economic sanctions can probably be justified, haven’t they inflicted enough suffering on the wrong people already?

And like last time around, Saddam Hussein will remain untouched by the whole affair, and no doubt will be shaking hands with British ministers in ten years time, like Col. Gadaffi is doing now.

Unilaterally Bush will do what he wants, that much is clear. However we, the People of Europe, must not allow ourselves to be dragged into a free for all bullying session that is both a crime against humanity whilst being in breach of international law.

Tony Blair must be shown that we will not stand by and condone Bush’s shameful hypocrisy.

Demonstrate Saturday 28th September 2002. Embankment 12:30, London.