A short lived but kick arse band with a revolving lineup featuring, at various points, John Catto, Russell Bell, Nick Rhodes, Kev Harris, Farika Skilton, Christine Kellogg, The Myth, Jake Walters, Bloody Spider, Brian Roe, Sheila Hayman, yours truly and, of course, his nibs, the Mayor of Soho himself, Mr Phil Dirtbox.
(If anyone has a copy of The Buzz video or any live images do please contact me)
The Outlaw Josie Jenkins
Excellent Feeling
The Buzz
Debbie
Gangster – remix
BULLSEYE is an admirable new Sunday nightclub venture operating from a pub basement around the back of Great Portland Street. Functioning as both an end-of-weekend fallout zone for heavyweight clubbers and a showcase for new bands, there’s no musical policy save for the ability to kick up a bit of a rumpus. The fact that it’s regularly rammed seems to suggest that it’s targeting things rather nicely.
Phil Dirtbox has, over the last 10 years, targeted everything from clubs to ocean liners, an ever-present at the innovative edge at what to do with your nights out. A couple of years back he started the first at many groups with the name God and now he’s finally managed to combine audacious scam-mongering with a musical force to match the ambition at his ideas. And, quite possibly, one of the silliest names yet stitched into rock’s rich tapestry.
Coming on under enough dry ice to cover most of Western Europe, they don’t actually emerge from the whiteout until almost the end at their set, providing an aptly disorientating edge to a show that melds relentless high-energy with ballsy rock and a wry, sussed lyricism. “XE Lent Feeling” and “The Buzz” are unsurprisingly visceral, but the highlight is the debut single, “Gangsta”, a mini- epic that falls somewhere between celebration and mockery in its account at ducking, diving and marking your money from the back at dodgy limos.
It’s still developing, still fighting off a few gremlins and learning to let rip, but there’s definitely a restorative energy popping its head above the barricades. And as far as Sunday night hedonism goes, what more could you want?
Paul Mathur
Melody Maker
28 March 1992