 | | Working For A Nuclear Free City |
While the band’s performance initially seemed promising - a brief air-raid shelter siren quickly twisting into the driving, psychedelic ambience for which WFANFC have become renowned - the gig was perhaps doomed from the start, as sound problems plagued the band from the outset. It seemed to irrevocably knock the performance off track and although some merry revellers managed to throw out a few hippy-esque shapes throughout the evening, the dance floor remained practically empty - leaving the unfortunate impression that one had walked into a group rehearsal. Despite front man Phil Kay’s obvious penchant for being able to play almost any instrument going, it seemed as though he almost had too much to do; and, with a keyboard around his neck and a penny whistle in his hand, it was Kay’s continual twiddling behind an admittedly impressive array of synthesisers that gave the overall impression that style was being placed firmly over content. Having said this, key tracks such as the Fool’s Gold-influenced Dead Fingers Talking and the progressive, melodic Over still managed to win over the audience. And the looping So, which slowly grew to become a complex, layered wall of sound that echoed throughout the venue, did indeed portray a transcendental glimpse of WFANFC at their best. It’s extremely difficult to criticise a band that are so obviously into their own unique sound. But it remains impossible for WFANFC to truly replicate their studio tracks in a live setting, and once the exterior is stripped away, it unfortunately seems there is not much left to play with. | 
