Death In Vegas have always made critically acclaimed records and, mostly, critically derided live performances. While those albums are chocked to the gills with heavyweight guest vocalists - from Iggy and Bobby G to Liam and Weller - onstage they lack any sort of focus. In fact, they are crying out for a front person, be that man, woman or child.
Lining up with Richard Fearless and Tim Holmes in the background, two anonymous guitarists and a bass player take centre stage. They resemble Oasis - if the three blokes who's surnames aren't Gallagher were pushed to the front while the supposedly talented members hide behind desks smoking fags, doing crosswords and occasionally punching the air. In short, a less than thrilling spectacle.
Yet the crowd lives in hope that one of the aforementioned guests might arrive to enliven proceedings. Gillespie's already playing on the main stage, so he's out, and when Liam's voice ghosts through the speakers in a twisted remix of 'Scorpio Rising' we realise he isn't come either. Fair enough. But as the familiar 'la-la-la's' of 'Dirge' ring out and even Dot Allison (Fearless' girlfriend) doesn't appear, we know the chances of Mr Osterburg making it to narrate 'Aisha' are nil. We're left to watch the three roadies making rock shapes instead.
And it's not that the music is that bad - the formula of techno meets Suicide meets punk is a great one - it's just that DIV seem so half-arsed and boring. Even the visuals (six small video screens - hardly Zoo TV) are lazy.
Alan Vega once attacked his audience with a whip. Fearless looks sheepish. Embarrassed to be here. Maybe he is. That he invokes the imagery of Kenneth Anger makes it all the more laughable. No wonder Mick and Keef's one-time satanic buddy refused to work with them.
Meanwhile, on another stage, as yet another meandering variation on the 12-bar blues starts up, Primal Scream are headlining with their own twisted take on punk-rock-techno-blues. Gillespie's crew will utilise almost exactly the same retro cliché, but they do it so much better. Fearless could do worse than bring a notepad and pen rather than his band next time around.
