The Elvis Suicide @ King Tut's

Somewhere beneath the scrambling guitars, punchy drumming and punk shouting, The Elvis Suicide have a country sensibility. They start the set fast and hard, almost sounding too close to their punk influences (The Clash, early Damned and probably even Stiff Little Fingers), allowing drummer Div Striker to lead the charge and wooing the crowd with sheer energy. They never slow the pace, but as the set wears on, the more subtle structures become clear. The songs aren't long enough to let the hints of rockabilly do more than surface and disappear, and their charm rests entirely on their anger and devotion to the rocking cause: their single-mindedness is breathtaking, their music stripped of the pretension that mars so much retro-rock. With time and persistence, The Elvis Suicide could flower into something just as fast but more imaginative - the bad seeds are certainly present. [Gareth K Vile]