Children of the 1970s should remember Blue Peter's "time capsules". Barely a year passed without Peter Purves insisting some Cub Scouts fill a box with what were euphemistically dubbed "historical artefacts". This would be buried in the Blue Peter garden, for the enlightenment of future generations. Since the "historical artefacts" usually comprised pictures of Valerie Singleton meeting Princess Anne and Blue Peter badges, it was difficult to imagine any future generations being particularly enlightened. The practice died out.
Yet its influence lives on in the world of rock. In 2002, every other new band proffers a musical style buried years ago. The Hives, Fischerspooner, nu-grungers such as Nickelback - all wield a metaphorical shovel. The latest are New Zealand quartet the Datsuns, whose sound was interred in 1974. It is pitched between the Stooges and Deep Purple: Neanderthal riffing, howling vocals, songs called Lady and lyrical references to that shadowy figure of evil, the Man. Lead singer Dolf De Datsun addresses the audience as "brothers". Their intro music is Kenny's The Bump, a glam hit last heard when the Watergate scandal was a burning political issue.
The Datsuns have been heralded "new music revolutionaries" by the NME. This is rather like heralding Dick Emery as the future of comedy. In these desperate days, the NME will proclaim you a music revolutionary if you turn up at their offices listlessly blowing a comb and paper, but the hype still works. At the back of the packed venue lurk men old enough to remember this stuff first time around. Their greying whiskers bob up and down in approval.
And well they might. The Datsuns are awesomely tight, fantastically good at what they do. Sometimes, as on the solo-heavy Freeze Sucker, their music exists primarily as a reminder that the 1970s weren't all nostalgia cracks them up to be. More often, they were about swaggering gonzo rock along the lines of the band's current single In Love - which is impossible not to enjoy. Like the Blue Peter time capsules, it's all good fun, not to be taken seriously. Invest it with any importance and you're liable to end up looking as dumb as the Datsuns sound.
