214 TABITHA ZU, Homage Freaks, Swindon Link Arts Centre, Thursday 2 July 1992

Well, despite my taking on my mortgage on my own, I'm still getting to a fair few gigs! This, my twelfth of the year midway through 1992, was a local one featuring 2 bands I'd never heard of before, and admittedly I was only going as it was preferential to Hardings or a night in!

Got there at 9 just after The Homage Freaks took the stage. They were a gang of noisy beatniks playing Chilli Peppers style bollocks, so I adjourned to the bar to get away from their exhortations of, "dance, you motherfuckers!". Sometimes, NO! is enough...

I didn't know what to expect from Tabitha Zu; they look like new age punks, their vocalist Mel is the younger sister of the truly appalling Daisy Chainsaw's Katie Jane Gartside, and the pre-gig hype pointed to a Faith Healers/ Silverfish noise. However they took the stage at 10.15 and quickly wiped away any preconceptions with a thoughtful, moody opening number dominated by a fine performance from Mel's 12-string guitar and yodelling style of vocal gymnastics. This was thankfully typical of the set which was varied in pace, but always sinister, edgy and moody, revealing influences like X-Mal Deutschland and Throwing Muses. Very enjoyable!