I’m not altogether sure what Flower Punk is but judging by The Black Lips then it isn’t pretty. Youthful exuberance is one thing but these guys are already relative veterans and they’re only in their 20’s. We’re The Black Lips from Atlanta, Georgia is the way it all kicks off. Harmless enough you’d think, but there’s an underlying evil to their jangly bash that soon banishes any thoughts of them sounding like The Arctic Monkeys. Imagine if The Beatles had played Altamont instead of The Stones? What direction would that have taken the world in? These Lips pucker up to fire a projectile of phlegm across the bows of conventional pop music. They may employ some of the sonic tactics but that’s where it ends. Up an edgy and scratchy avenue off the main drag, not too far from the beaten track though. There is an element of extreme commerciality to their musical scrapping. The Black Lips deal in a nugget-y juggernaut that’s powered by a sixties punk vs British invasion racket. Dirty Hand is a prime example. The Monkees with a severe case of Gallacher brother type attitude. Boisterous and hot-wired combo with a side of frantic beat raving that’s part gang, part frat-house. Their albums on Bomp and In The Red display a Brian Jonestown mood. Did you see Dig? The Lips forthcoming 2005 Tour Movie seems like a much uglier proposition with much willy waving and pissing in public. Did they actually have to take Get Your YaYas Out quite so literally? Always an, er, crowd pleaser. As is tossing a bottle into the crowd during the encore and you’ll see the whole escapade unfold for your viewing pleasure right here. The temperature in the room is suddenly raised several buenos. Yo stupido is the closing statement after Cole Younger apologises for cracking the skull of a girl in the audience as a result of his action. It’s a strange and unsettling moment to in what is ostensibly a straight concert film. Catch The Black Lips racing through a set culled from all the records with relentless precision. They know exactly where it’s at and where it’s going. What’s more, they don’t appear to give a rat’s chuff. Wildmen In Action pretty much does what it says on the tin. The extra clips are of Fad which displays what might have happened if Tobe Hooper had worked on F Troop. Wildman is pretty much a trailer for the tour document and is not so much wild as it is worrying. I’m not sure they’ll get a certificate for it without several cuts. When all’s said and done there’s a lot of very dark, none more black humour at play here. Sometimes it’s not funny but as they say in my neck of the woods, dinnae make me laugh, I’ve got chapped lips. The Chapped Lips? Sounds like a tribute band waiting to happen. There’s a Mose Allison song called Wildman On The Loose, this performance dvd is that to the power of four. Lock up your daughters, your animals, anything with an orifice because The Black Lips are coming… in every sense of the word. You’ve heard about the generation gap, well it’s just about to become a chasm.