August 19, 2003

I nearly didn't make it into this gig - beyond sold out, it was massively oversubscribed and in danger of becoming a fire hazard. But I wrangled my way onto a friend's +1 and climbed upstairs in time to just miss the horrendous opening act (Loose Cannons), a true Crime Against Music if there ever was one. But Patrick Wolf came on with all his little lost schoolboy charm, and immediately ran into technical problems big enough to leave seasoned performers in tears. Patrick thundered on heroically, but it was obvious it was just a case of trying his best in a bad situation. The crowd were sympathetic, however, and the ukelale and accordian routine went down far better with the electronic crowd than first expected.

By the time Adult. took the stage, the crowd was pressed ham in a tin and oxygen levels were desperately wanting. What was the barest electronic on record came across as a full-on punk set live, smashing any of those who pin-holed them into the Electroclash label in the past. all the hits were there, redone and kicked in the teeth for this radio broadcast, and Adult. were truly happy to be giving London what it deserved.