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| Live,
Dan Wolff,
20 January 1999 |
Rating: F4
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Times have considerably changed since Public Enemy burst onto the music scene in 1987 with their rap blue-print 'Yo! Bum Rush The Show.' Since inspiring untold numbers to start rapping,they themselves have fallen behind since their break from the limelight. Evidence of this is the sad fact that their show tonight has been moved to a smaller venue due to a lack of ticket sales. Once inside the Wulfrun ,it is still only 70% full, not that this seems to matter to the band, who still give it 100%.
After the appearance of the obligatory S1Ws and newly reinstated member Professor Griff, a pumped-up Chuck D runs on stage and gets straight to business. The absence on decks of the regular Terminator X doesn't make a difference as they still sound as powerful as ever. Things pick up further when the band clown, Flavor Flav, bounces on during second song 'Can't Truss It.' From here on in they play a greatest hits set, spanning every record of their career, including 'Crayola' and 'Here I Go' from this years' 'There's A poison Going On.'
The crowd pedictabilly go wild for the older ones such as 'Rebel Without A Cause,''Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos'and still one of the greatest tunes ever'Fight The Power.' Songs from the severley underrated 'He Got Game' also get played, including a solo rendition of 'Resurrection' from Chuck D who basically carries the whole show himself.The only time the rhythm is lost is when he's not on stage controlling the crowd with ease. Professor Griff is left to do a solo song but seems too preoccupied with filming himself with a camcorder. Flavor Flav's solo spot sounds weak compared to the band's material and is marred by the fact he cannot help continually promoting his new solo album and t-shirts (his cousin even comes on stage with a poster:FLAVOR FLAV T-SHIRTS FOR SALE £9.99).
All is forgotten when Chuck D returns with inspiring versions of 'Welcome To The Terrordome,''Bring The Noise' and 'Shut Em Down.' The show finishes with their new single 'Do You Want To Go Our Way' and Flavor Flav ending up in the audience, naked from the waist up apart from the clock around his neck, shaking as many hands as possible.
They may not sell as many tickets or records as most of the money-grabbing (c)rap bands today, but on this return showing it's the quality of the tunes that shine and simply getting on with it that makes them the original and still the best.
WOLVERHAMPTON WULFRUN HALL
6TH SEPT 1999
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