Terry Staunton, publiced in NME (nov. 12, 1988)

Tom Tom Club live at London Borderline

TINA WEYMOUTH has been fidgeting behind a bass guitar for 11 years, just waiting for a chance to shake her long blonde hair about like a possessed woman.

David Byrne has always been the pivot and visual focus of Talking Heads, while Tina and hubby Chris Frantz -not wishing to belittle their contribution- have been secondary characters.

Not anymore. Tina's going bonker out front while Chris hammers his way though the set, howling Wolfman Jack raps down a radio mike. It's definately their show and it's a lot of fun.

Even new material from the dissapointing 'Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom' album sounds triff.

What the Tom Toms have in common with Talking Heads is a rich vein of humour in both their music and the between-song chat. Chris can't resist ad-libbing through 'Genius Of Love' and taunting the multitude struggling at the bar: 'I've got mine right here', he shouts, waving a bottle of Becks above his cymbals.

He throws in a surprise, suitably shoddy but funky rendition of Bob Dylan's 'She Belongs To Me', and Tina's version of 'Femme Fatale' is almost a Spitting Image caricature of Nico.

A rousing chorus of 'Psycho Killer', assisted by a be- spectacled Herbert from the audience on backing vocals, brings the proceedings to a close and *still* we can't reach the bar. That's a tiny price to pay, however, for seeing the Tom Toms at their best in a sweaty basement.

They could have easily done one or two nights at a larger venue, but the idea of six consecutive nights at The Borderline was inspired.

Come back soon for another six, please.