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.
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