December 3rd - Birmingham Custard Factory.

I've seen Public Enemy live four times over the last 20 years, but last night's gig in Birmingham was the best yet. Despite Professor Griff's absence due to 'passport problems', PE were tighter than i've ever seen them. Chuck D and Flavor Flav may be pushing 50 but the pure energy they put into their shows put's lesser, younger bands to shame.

Hip Hop landmark album 'It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back' was played in its entirety, followed by a long set of tracks from every single Public Enemy album released. Flavor Flav wondered around the venue greeting fans whilst still wrapping, Chuck D autographed fans items mid-song. The band were on for hours, seriously. The only criticism of the night was the sheer volume of 'Nathan Barley's' in the audience, the kind of flotsam that thought it was funny to make a row through Flavor Flav's request for a minutes silence to honor the dead in the Mombai terror attacks. These wastes of skin were only at the gig because it was fashionable to do so. Still, couldn't spoil an absolute classic of a night.