Album review

Asian Dub Foundation - Live: Keep Banging The Walls

Despite recent anti-war and anti-Bush protests, agitpop remains as stubbornly unfashionable as ever, still distantly associated with joyless shades of grey. ADF consistently give the lie to that, not least live, where their mix of cavalier guitars, panning samples and synths and tabla'n'bass vibrations are enough to fire up even the most apathetic and 'post-political' of souls. This LP captures something missing on the studio albums—a spark, a full-on charge as they connect with audiences across Europe. "Free Satpal Ram" retains its ability to boil the blood long after the authorities grudgingly did so. Glorious.

Rating: 4 / 10


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Editor's Letter

An encounter with Van Morrison


Consider this the last in a short series of encounters with somewhat cantankerous sorts, following accounts in this space over the couple of weeks of meetings with Lou Reed and Gordon Lightfoot, both of which have stirred some passing interest and lively comment. Today’s subject is Van Morrison...