Catherine WheelThe Zone, SwanseaFebruary 1998

Catherine Wheel: (1) noun, flat coiled firework spinning when lit; (2) band, flat spoilt sound, spinning when hit in the face (hopefully).

Apparently, in America they play to 2,000 people for two hours and no one gets bored. In Swansea, they play to about 200 people, and we go to the bar, to the toilet, to sleep….

At indeterminate stages during their hour long set (strange how I can't remember what time as I seemed to spend most of the night looking at my watch) they treat us to their hit ("the colour of your skin is black metallic?" surely not, for that would shine, and therefore could not be Catherine Wheel), and some more songs that they'd really like us to make hits for them.

Ultimately, it was the crowd that provided the highlight of the performance, altogether now – Taxi for Cartherine Wheel!