AERIAL RAILWAY

Rip It Up, Issue 55, 1 February 1982, Page 6

AERIAL RAILWAY

Saturday on the Aerial Railway Stage consisted of mainly poets and drama, though Smelly Feet chose to air his talents at least three times during the day. On Sunday, things livened up, when no less than 11 bands graced the stage. The Actors are a three-piece playing strong, melodic originals. The guitarist was smooth, and possessed a very capable voice. They deserve a chance to do something better.

Gorilla Biscuits are a fourpiece of considerable ability, but sometimes the result is reminiscent of Dire Straits at their worst. Exhibit 350 have been around for a long time, going nowhere. They're neither contemporary nor inspired. Dabs have played around Auckland for a few months now. They're a powerful three-piece with a rich sound, but lack distinctive material. No Tag hit the stage soon after, and would probably have hit the audience if anyone tried to stop them. Labelled 'Oi', their music is loud, brash and minimal. Garden Gnomes are from the North Shore, and bear strong resemblance to the Meemees. The evening saw DVB, the Gurlz and Transmission. Later that night, Danse Macabre served up a set that was, for me, the highlight of the four days. Steven and Stefan from the Glides joined in on percussion for ECG', and the place cooked. I felt sorry for the unfortunates watching Cold Chisel. Mark Phillips

Monday morning, Mockers played the Aerial Railway stage prior to their mainstage spot. They were tight and played with conviction, but were sadly often too metallic. More northward ventures would pay off, with the experience gained from playing to different audiences.

Next was Mike Forse, a guitarist and singer from Christchurch

sporting a Phil Oakey coiffure, bleached on the long side. His manner was pleasant enough, but four or five early Bowie covers is a bit of a cheek. His only original, . 'Garden City Success', did nothing for me. Not being an authority on Gospel rock) T really can't Comment on the originality of Sea Breeze. But with their smooth sound, perhaps air time on the 'new' Hauraki is possible. Finally, Limbs, and compensation ten-fold for the amount of dust in my lungs. They were as polished, vibrant and committed as ever. Though suffering from the limited stage lighting, they

captivated the growing crowd. An oasis of intelligent, vital energy in a three-day desert of moronic, inebriated black T-shirts. Stefan Morris