The Terminals
Live at Escobar (Wakefield) on Friday, 14th October 2005
Mother always said, "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all". With that in mind perhaps I should just progress directly to talking about Jack Afro. But hey, I see this as a public service, I could be saving you some time and protecting your ears. The Absolute Zeroes have a very fitting name indeed. This isn't music, it's not sloppy in that charming punk rock n roll way, it's just a horrible, turgid mess. The tunes are awful and the singing worse. There's very little positive to say other than Escobar offers a fine selection of bottled beers.
Jack Afro kick things into gear with some pleasant pop tunes. It's not world beating but the dual vocals work well, the drummer keeps the ship nice and steady as the waves of Libertines-esque melody wash over us all. You'll remember you got wet, but you will dry off after a while. There's evidence enough to indicate though that Jack Afro could come up with some tunes that really lodge themselves into people's brains and if they do, they have the ability to back them up with a good solid performance.
I'm a man who knows his own faults and one of them is a tendency to be rather sycophantic about the things I love. Having seen The Terminals (possibly now called Detonators again) in their various guises over the years it's hard not to gush about them. With so much quality around at the moment The Terminals still seem to effortlessly operate on a higher level than most. 'Sectioned' and 'Repeat Offender' are back in the set but now super charged and exploding out from the stage as Ther Terminals deliver a highly energetic set to the small crowd. Guitarist Jock wrestles with his guitar as he wrenches notes out from its very heart.
The Terminals spiky pop punk exudes class, with hooks bigger than those made by a really big hook making company, witty and incisive lyrics and an energy level that would make isotonic drinks makers cheer. With their matching army print t-shirts and bandanas they look dressed to kill and they mercilessly slay the audience with a volley of tunes that have the crowd demanding more.
