Friday 22 October 2010

310 TINY MONROE, Dustball, Oxford Hobgoblin, Wednesday 6 December 1995


Have car, will travel! Used my work hire car to drive Beef to this new venue in chuffing cold and snow! D'oh! A very quiet turnout in this Jericho Tavern-like venue, thanks to the grotty weather.

Still, we had some spiky punk rock to warm our ears, thanks to Oxford's Dustball. 3 painfully young lads kicking up an untutored Ash/ Senseless Things groove, which is bound to sound better after more gigs perfecting their art. They also need more drumsticks, because when the drummer dropped one, the whole gig ground to a halt!

Tiny Monroe, after a considerable hibernation, are out again and starting from scratch, having lost the female-fronted guitar pop momentum to Echobelly, Sleeper, Elastica et al. Tonight's punchy performance to a largely disinterested Oxford crowd and a couple of hip-swaying Swindonians, however suggests they have the determination to catch up. They certainly have the good quality tunes (the newer material seemingly a little rockier than their 2 previous, more laid-back singles), and in NJ they have a vocalist with presence, a delicious husky voice, the type Fiona Parachute Men used to excel in purveying, and eyes like pools of ink. Good luck to them; I for one will be watching closely!

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