May-June, 1980.
M.C. REVIEWS.

The Nu Kats at The Whiskey, Hollywood

     The Players: Freddy Moore, lead vocals, guitar; Bobbyzio Moore, sax, keyboards, guitar; Dennis Peters bass, vocals; Al Galles, drums, vocals.

     Material: The Nu Kats (formerly The Kats ) combine the coy innocence and bouncy charm of the 60's with the more hard-edged and sophisticated elements of the 70's, for a well defined set which is, at once, simple and creative. Though most of the songs have an adolescent signature, like "I Can't Have You," "What's So Good About Good Girls?" and " Can You Use Me?" the band craftily avoids the pitfalls of sugar-coated excees by utilizing a sharp rhythmic undercurrent which has its roots in R&B. Performed with unfailing accuracy, it gives dimension to Freddy Moore's vocals.

     Musicianship: If this night was standard indication, the Nu Kats are one of the tightest local units around. Bobbyzio Moore is the resident jack-of-all-trades, hopping from guitar to keyboards to sax with equal facility, injectiong the tunes with kinetic vitality. Dennis Peters' bass works small wonders within the confines of the 4/4 pop format, McCartneyish in its melodic sense, and then Stanley Clarkeish in its galloping imaginative pace. Al Galles orchestrates the tempo changes with accuracy and restraint.

     Performance: As expected, most of the Nu Kats fans were of the tennis-shoed, teenage variety, and expressed their admiration by offering gifts and confetti to blond-haired, youthful rock persona, lead singer/songwriter, Freddy Moore . The band performed with a bouncy, good-natured approach, and the set progressed with precision and minimal complications.

     Summary: Midway through the set, the band performed a song called "Lost My TV Guide," which blended tempo and chord changes with a catchy melody in an almost genesis-cum-Beatles alliance. It was the surprising apex of the entire evening, (including the ensuing set by The Naughty Sweeties) and if this band can direct more energy in this direction, they may generate an entirely fresh approach to the genre of power pop.

     -Gene Klyotoki