The Datsuns @ Cabaret Voltaire

To say The Datsuns were once world beaters would be immoderate hyperbole. There was, however, a time when the New Zealanders were being mentioned in the same breath as garage rock revolution pioneers The Strokes and The White Stripes. Tonight, such ruminations in Cabaret Voltaire seem as antipodal as the band themselves. This gig may have come as a rude awakening to those in attendance on account of fond memories of their eponymous début. Older numbers like Lady and Motherfucker From Hell were always going to go down well, but the failings of their output since was manifest to all but the front few rows of allegiant followers. Recent tracks like System Overload fail to generate any real excitement, indicative of how stationary The Datsuns have been. Granted, they were never the most innovative band in the world and unwavering retro was part of their appeal, but rock n roll was never meant to be this boring. [Finbarr Bermingham]