This collection of 50 clips from 1983 onwards presents 'Fifty of the top names from the independents', according to the packaging. My take is that this is a fine representation of the UK indie scene from the 80s-90s, with plenty of performance videos and some genuinely amateur promo clips that bring to mind the grand old days of watching weird new bands on "SNUB TV" or "Night Flight" on cable TV.We get plenty of obscurities here, from classic punk (Exploited's ham-fisted "Sexual Favours"), hardcore (Crumbsuckers), garage rock, death-rock (the Birthday Party rip-offs Inca Babies), indie folk (Michelle Shocked or Robyn Hitchcock), Sunset Strip-style glam (Tygers Of Pan Tang), space rock (Hawkwind), psychobilly (The Meteors), blues (Turnpike Cruisers), exotic pop (Sheila Chandra), and cut-up electro from 2-Kut, featuring future KMFDM/Pig frontman Raymond Watts and Neubauten's Blixa Bargeld.
The crowns here, from my point of view, are the inimitable Alien Sex Fiend, who's classic acid-electro-rock of "Buggin' Me" and "Ignore The Machine" are underrated slabs of weirdo proto-industrial rock, and Psychic TV, who get 3 solid post-acid house videos in "JOY", "R.U. Xperienced (with Caresse P-Orridge), and "I.C. Water", their loving tribute to Ian Curtis.
Sure, there's a lot of naff stuff here to slog through, but with a few true gems, this one can be a nice part of the collection. (Screen Edge via MVD Visual)
