Alabama 3 @ Carling Academy

Alabama 3's fusion of gospel, country and acid house could have been incendiary: instead, each genre's mania is smoothed and blended into ambling grooves. Moments of sudden excitement - a sample of insane preacher Jim Jones, a guitar rock-out stolen from Alex Harvey's legacy or the gospel roars of Devlin Love - are submerged by the Carling Academy's sound system and uninspired, rhythm-heavy workouts. The exhortations, raps and lectures of both Larry Love and Rev. Wayne D Love are largely lost in the mix. A protest song against George Bush is oddly restrained - despite the sample of exploding bombs, it lacks urgency. Faster tracks and guitar solos break through the slush of the PA, but their rolling funk is distorted, with inaudible harmonicas and bristling percussion sucked into throbbing bass. Alabama 3 are solid, rarely breaking formula but with a few good tunes - unfortunately, tonight they fall victim to a bad sound system. [Gareth K Vile]