King Adora / The Glitterati

Islington Academy 2

22.11.03

Only the Smiths and the Manics before them have seen such levels of rabid devotion; sleaze-punks King Adora are on a pretty much single-handed mission to reintroduce glamour back into rock 'n' roll.

One of the bands joining KA in their crusade are nu-generation glam-rockers The Glitterati. Singer Paul Gautrey gyrates around the tiny stage, screaming through the songs like a hyperactive hyena, whilst the two guitarists duel it out in the battle of the guitar solos. Executed with a tremendous passion, the band's set, packed full of punky, old-skool metal nihilism was wildly impressive.

When King Adora finally take to the Academy's pint-sized stage, they are met by nothing short of hysteria and the noise reaches deafening levels. Attired in their trademark Oxfam Glamour-chic, the band launches into one half of their new double 'A' side single Nine Inches of Pure Malice, surely a contender for single-of-the-year. The Brummie four-piece pout and scissor-kick their way through their feverish, if brief set, new material such as the irrepressible Kamikaze and Asleep fast on their way to becoming fan favourites. Tracks from the band's debut Vibrate You album created a frenzy down the front and saw several fans being crushed against the precariously balanced speaker stacks. Former Top 40 singles Bionic and Suffocate are examples of glam-punk at its best, perfect hybrids of melody, crashing guitars and Maxi Browne's astonishing panther-yell.

As the last bars of encore track The Law ring out and evaporate into feedback, some fans are already saying that this is best they've seen the band perform. After a turbulent 2002 marred by the termination of their record company contract, King Adora are back with a larger catalogue of songs, a new label and it may not be too long before they see a return to the glory days of their not-too-distant past.

Clive Drew