from Sounds 21st July 1984

Brilliant - Camden Palace

ANYONE WHO can look Brilliant in the eye and fail to be moved has
been standing too long in wet cement. Whether by accident or design
- this is the band for the moment - any moment.
	You could take them anywhere and they've got something for
everyone. Latin percussion, rock guitar, a psychotic drummer, two
bass guitars, lasers (well OK they belong to the Palace), bits of
metal, synthesizers, cowbells (yay!), the ultra cool girl singer ...
oh, and Youth. Nearly forgot.
	The token raggedy-assed pin-up lout with the Credentials, the
Dreadlocks, and the Psychedelic Jacket. Every band should have one,
making those doyng doyng rubbery noises in Brilliant.
	Tonight, Brilliant were funky, but with the ingredients they've
got, they could probably give them a stir in any direction they
pleased - electro-jazz, afro-punk - but like I said, tonight was for
dancing.
	They hit a peak early on with their second number 'Cut Price' with
its instantly addictive groove mapped out by Chester Bongo-Man.
After that there was no looking back.
	This is the kind of uncharted everyman's land that Shrieback have
spent the last few years searching for and ex-Shriekbacker (and ex a
few other things) Pedro, has finally found, having parked his
blood-stained drum kit in the Brilliant camp. For once he looked
almost at peace.
	'Colours' was missing but after the inevitable search for stray
bits of percussion, they closed with the uplifting 'Soul Murder' and
returned for a hot and dishevelled repeat of their other single
'Push'. I hope to see them again soon.
	In a word, Brilliant are really not bad at all.
                                                                JANE SIMON