Dai Lo / Cynical Smile

Nottingham Rock City

January 30 1999


I think I’ve decided to erase this week. Stress popped another cheeky left hook in, and to be honest, I want to shoot most people at the moment.

Cynical Smile seem to maybe have a little problem. They haven’t made the progress I expected them to make. By that I just mean in the public eye, not musically. There’s not many around to see them, though there’s a few down in the front who are doing their best to kick the shit out of each other. Call me a wussy or a pussy if you want, but if I want to flail my arms like a shite boxer, I’ll get in the ring and do it. If I want to pick people up and throw them around, I’ll start playing rugby again. Not at a gig. I’m all for people getting a pit going and enjoying it, but there’s a point where it just becomes a macho piece of shit, trying to show how big you are. And that’s a waste of time. I mean, if I put my fist in on of their faces if they were to hit into me or try and drag me in, they’d probably be a bit upset about it and want to make an issue out of it. So why should anyone wanting to “just” dance have to put up with it from them? One of them tries to encourage people to join in by calling them pussies if they don’t. Wow, like that’s really going to encourage people. Prick. Maybe it’s the music of CS that does it, or maybe someone just OD’ed on the macho tabs this morning. Some new material is mixed in with tracks from the album, such as Methadone and Gunga-din, and it’s good. But it was workmanlike almost, and the next album is going to be critical. Things end with DJ Stinky joining them for a hip-hop song, which may, or may not be an indication of the future.

Dai Lo, I’d not heard about until a week ago. Then I got hold of some demo tracks, and was I looking forward to this? Oh yeah, even with Mr Stress taking up residence. See, Dai Lo are refreshing in the current climate. Playing a style I like, this takes the accessible moments of Faith No More and Incubus and wraps them in with some great songs. It’s only 30 minutes, but in this time they get through Target, with it’s strange rhythm half way through, World of Me, Junkmale, from the new Org compilation CD, and Twist The Knife, which is an awesome song. Plus some others whose names I don’t know. It’s easy going and fun, “if everyone makes a little noise, then together we can make a big noise” reckons the vocalist (nope, don’t know the name at the moment). About half way through, the calm and enjoyment is interrupted by Machismo II - The Revenge, as the Welsh lads return to prove that, if we need some muscle in the five nations, there is plenty running around back home (and in Rock City).

Dai Lo took the honours. By a long way. I like this band. I like this band a lot.