Babes In Toyland

It's been five years since Babes In Toyland last shrieked their way around the globe and, to be honest, the world hasn't exactly been a hugely poorer place for their absence. Still, they're back for one last time - this is a combined reunion/farewell tour - and really, they needn't have bothered.

As a band they were always very much of their time (the early nineties, grunge & riot grrrl) and, even with metal making a defiant comeback, they sound shaky. True, there's something engagingly chaotic about the whole affair and the trio still inspire devotion in some - the front row is predominantly young, female and dressed in black - but, and this was always their main problem, the Babes really wouldn't know a good tune if it crowdsurfed into their drum kit.

While once rage and conviction may have carried them through, the whole thing now simply smacks of going through the motions. They drift through the set and end their penultimate European performance, not with a bang, but with a whimper - their lack of encore is less to do with any sort of punk rock statement and more about both the audience and band's disinterest.

The Babes have grown up, the toys are obsolete and the fairy story's over.