Public Enemy live at the Brixton Academy and other live reviews, 12th December 1987

Simon Reynolds reviews Public Enemy at Brixton Academy, London. Photo Richard Bellia

I happen to work with an ex NME journo from this period, who wears a Public Enemy T-Shirt around the office.

“Brilliant live” he says, talking fondly of how there were police blockades just to get into the street where you could then queue up to get into the venue.

“Rap’s shit live. It’s just shouting over a distorted PA”, I counter authoritatively without ever having been to a rap gig.

I’ll have to ask him if this is the Brixton show he went to. I’ve got Reynolds on my side now.

Elsewhere,
Paul Mathur reviews Sex Gods at Locomotive, Paris
Angie Daniell reviews Alex Konadu at The Africa Centre, London
Tom Morton reviews The James Taylor Quartet at The Rooftop, Glasgow
Phil DC reviews Red Lorry Yellow Lorry at ULU, London
Push reviews Masque at Fulham Lost Theatre, London
David Fricke reviews Marianne Faithful and her Mars Bar at The Bottom Line, New York – and
Push reviews The Icicle Works at the Town & Country Club, London