An utterly uninspired live outing by
999 -- never more than third-stringers in the U.K. punk scene even during their heyday --
Live in L.A.: 1991 is the punk equivalent of those formulaic live albums has-been easy listening crooners sell at the merch tables during their annual live stints in Branson, MO. Known for their small hits "Emergency" and "Homicide" -- both here in competent but uninspired run-throughs --
999 never had a particular point of view, neither as political as the likes of
the Clash or
Stiff Little Fingers nor as rudely rollicking as
Sham 69 or
the Sex Pistols. This set by the late-'80s/early-'90s lineup -- singer/songwriter Nick Cash, guitarist Guy Days, drummer Pablo Labritain, all from the original lineup, and newer bassist Danny Palmer -- sounds road-weary, as if they'd been playing the songs to steadily decreasing audiences for years, and this audience sounds small and only marginally involved with the proceedings.
Live in L.A.: 1991 is strictly for the most die-hard
999 fan. ~ Stewart Mason