They try so hard you just want to hug them and give them a Blur Peter badge. But this isn't kids TV - its rock & roll and in rock & roll there is no room for niceties. When King Adora hit the mark they do it with true style but, within what is nothing more than a 25 minute set, sadly they don't hit the mark often enough. The singles "Bionic", "Smoulder", "Suffocate" and "Big Isn't Beautiful" show the work of true genius. Taking the nod from the Manics "Generation Terrorists" by way of early Suede, they play with reckless abandon.

The rest of the set doesn't fair so well. A couple of slowies are thrown in to show their versatility, but they lack any of the vitality of the singles and lack certain essential qualities like tunes. That's where the similarities to the Manics end.
1) Fine they may have that cheap faded glamour look, but compare them to Nicky Wire or Richey in the sexy stakes and King Adora just fail (even compared to Nickys dodgy sideburn look of recent).
2) Intelligence - none existent. Simple as that!!!
3) They will never write a "Motorcycle Emptiness" or "Design For Life"

Give them a year and this band will have released their album and have faded away to obscurity. That is of course if you discount the ill-fated 2nd comeback album where they look worse then Rachel Stamp and tackle taboo subjects like sex, drugs and rock & roll. Wow, you're so fucking rebellious kids. Me, I'm going home to put on the far superior Dum Dums album and listen to some real music.!!!

Alex McCann