Big Audio Dynamite Triumph at London Gig

Jim Dyson, Getty Images

While there are those who still breath a sigh of relief that the Clash never reformed for one last trip around the block, the reunion of Big Audio Dynamite proves to be as welcome as it is fun. Formed in 1984 by guitarist Mick Jones in the wake of his departure from the punk pioneers, there's a case to be made -- certainly on the form of their first two albums, 'This Is Big Audio Dynamite' and 'No. 10, Upping Street' -- that Big Audio Dynamite were every bit as vital.

Though remembered less fondly than Jones' previous alma mater, their legacy has most recently been felt in Damon Albarn's explorations with Gorillaz, an outfit that found the guitarist reunited with Clash bassist Paul Simonon.

Suitably recharged and with an economic and political landscape that all reflects the hard times which spawned them, Big Audio Dynamite have returned to their home turf of West London on a Saturday night, April 2, and are rightly welcomed as local heroes.

While word of their opening dates in Liverpool and Glasgow suggested a band still struggling to find its feet, the Shepherds Bush Empire is treated to the sights and sounds of a band in almost indecently rude health. The epic opener 'Medicine Show' is so strong that there's a momentary fear that the band may fail to match its dizzying heights but such wobbles are quickly dispelled.

As proved with muscular readings of 'A Party!,' the roof-tearing 'E=MC2' and 'Beyond the Pale' -- still the greatest Strummer-Jones song to never sit beneath the Clash banner -- Big Audio Dynamite live up to their name. Jones, now resembling rock 'n' roll's answer to Humphrey Bogart, smiles and grins throughout, while Don Letts' confidence has risen in the last quarter of a century or so as he takes centre-stage to toast with conviction.

The majority of band reunions are guaranteed to disappoint; the only sour note of this evening is that many of the band's lyrics remain depressingly pertinent. 'The Bottom Line' is indeed "a dance to the tune of economic decline," but if history is indeed doomed to repeat itself, then Big Audio Dynamite have, for tonight at least, provided the ideal soundtrack.

Watch the Video for Big Audio Dynamite's 'E=MC2'