Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine / The Sultans Of Ping

What better way to start the last Carter USM show ever (hummmm) than with another early nineties throwback band, The Sultans of Ping. After losing the FC from the name (does it make a difference?) and returning the Ping after removing it before their last split, the band have been touring with one half of Carter in the form of Jim Bob since 2005. Now they have the honour of playing Brixton, and the crowd are loving it.

	"Carter’s lyrics are as relevant today as they were back then. Things might have changed; the pits are shut and Maggie has left the building, but they all generally relate to today’s society."

It's surprising that they can fit into the current popular music scene, what with singer Niall O'Flaherty’s long scraggy hair and pink leopard trousers (they are very, very tight). This doesn’t stop the guy pushing his bottle of beer down the front of his pants, or indeed rocking about on the monitors.

The only song I and probably a number of people here know is the last we hear from them, the world-changing sound of ‘Where’s Me Jumper’. There is a mosh pit of quite large-around-the-middle-men, and they are loving the feeling of it being 1991 again.

In between sets it’s a real stumble down memory lane, with tracks by The Wonderstuff and KLF gaining sing-a-longs from the highly worked up crowd. Indie may think it’s great now-a-days, but the real stars were back in 1990, when you could tape them from the top 40 on the radio and the lyrics had a bit more substance.

We know the time is nigh when Jon Fat Beast trundles on stage with nothing but a paper cup taped to his nether regions. The chants of “You Fat Bastard” beat him to the microphone. Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine have got together the old team for this last show; to recreate the sights and sounds of their early nineties shows. I have lost the bet as to whether Jim Bob would have grown back his enormous fringe for the occasion, but I suppose he has to look presentable to get a real job now!

The smoke machine and lighting is all the same; there is just the two of them and their guitars (no third member or four extra members featuring a real drummer, as with the ‘Who’s The Daddy Now Tour’ reunions). The drum machine is about somewhere, not exactly behaving itself as on one end to a tune where it should finish it carries on, leaving Jim Bob to signal to turn it off.

Tonight is ‘special’ also as we get to witness Fruitbat having the first alcoholic drink in seven months. He is looking a lot thinner than when I last saw him in Abdoujaparov three years ago. My only gripe is that the chemistry between the duo seems to be lacking somewhat; they are not really talking to each other or anything onstage, which is quite disappointing.

The cameras in the pit area signal maybe a DVD of the show is to be made, but I have since found out it was for the screens at the back, to show between snippets of old Carter USM music videos.

Carter’s lyrics are as relevant today as they were back then. Things might have changed; the pits are shut and Maggie has left the building, but they all generally relate to today’s society. No songs about girlfriends and what shoes to wear and whether to borrow your dad’s car while he’s asleep; real hard hitting and witty poems.

The setlist is amazing for a Carter fan; ‘Rent’, ‘The Only Living Boy In New Cross’, ‘After The Watershed’, ‘...And Bloodsport For All’, 'Surfin’ USM', the list goes on and on. ‘Sheriff Fatman’ and finally ‘GI Blues’ finish one of the best Carter gigs ever (I suppose they aren’t really gonna top it), and some teary eyed fans leave the building. A seemingly short two hours after the start; from Carter USM it’s a hello, good evening and goodbye.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.