Badly over recorded audience with some wow and flutter at the beginning. A good sense mind you of how loud the gruppe was on this evening. Mostly audible but when it gets loud it tends to push the meters into red. There is some annoying chattering from the audience in parts.

A short six gig tour for the new line up before a tour of the States/Canada. Brix returns to a two nighter in Manchester. The torpor and professional sound of the last twelve months is replaced by the two guitar line up which reduces D Bush to a bit part playing textures under meshing and scratching guitars. MES is louder, punkier and more assured than the last few months.

A stunning "wall of sound" version of "Free Range" almost disappears under the intense layers of sound being layed down and is the centre piece of a great gig. Oh for a better recording of this. Smith is in fine form , the guitars are loud but the drums are mostly inaudible.

Excellent rocking version of "War" which uses the guitars a lot more, and a superb rendition of "Middle Class Revolt" which is a maelstrom of chittering and riff laden guitars. Sultry and sexy "Glam Racket" makes short shrift of home counties and slides sensually into a swamp rock riff of the highest quality.

If this was not enough the closing two numbers are immense. Bush gets to shine on "Life just bounces" which is full of Hanleyesque fervour and layers of intense sound. Alien sounds introduce an inexorable slab of chaotic fallabilly as the students are called upon to atone for their "Vedder" calumny.

If it were not for the dodgy recording this would be a classic.