Joys of particle acceleration

By REBECCA BARRY

Crumb singer Carter Nixon has been described as "Robert Plant trapped in the body of a teenage Meatloaf" and a "crazy dancing guy".

The cameraman who filmed him during a recent performance on Good Morning knows all about that, he sniggers. He gave the poor guy a workout.

"I can't stand still on stage," he says. "The only guy who can probably get away with standing still is Liam Gallagher. I remember seeing Dinosaur Jnr and he literally stood there and looked down at the ground and I was like, 'What? I could be listening to his CD'. He didn't talk, it just sucked. I like to put on a show that I'd like to see, you know?"'

Today Crumb are preparing to give the crew on Top of the Pops the runaround, yet they could stand motionless and still look like rock stars. Nixon is a better-looking version of the Commitments' lead singer. Then there's guitarist Aaron Passmore in cool aviator sunnies, bass player Vinnie Menon, the James Iha of the group, and drummer John Davidson, who is scruffy in the nicest possible way.

The Wellington to Auckland trip is to promote their debut album, So Dirty, Every Day. They'll perform Pick Up the Pieces, a catchy song that sounds like Oasis meets the Exponents. They will probably also give each other grief while doing it.

"You know what a brotherly relationship is like," says Davidson of Nixon and his bandmate-cousin Passmore. "They fight. Mind you, that hasn't happened in a long, long time."

The album was finished last year but they spent the past few months building their profile before releasing it. Now they're faced with the ultimate rock'n'roll conundrum - will it sell?

Thanks to their strong live reputation - fuelled by Nixon's sweaty, on-stage enthusiasm - their label says yes, but that will happen mostly through their shows. So Dirty ... was produced to sound as live as possible but the band say those who have seen them perform might be disappointed.

Nixon: "It slows down then speeds up because it's just how John would play the drums at a gig - sloppy, terrible, wish we could lose him. I love the album, I think it's cool. But I think we're better live."

Nixon says they might look like they're jumping on the garage rock bandwagon when most of their songs were written way before that.

But while you can imagine some skinny rock hounds poring over old punk vinyl in earnest appreciation, picture Crumb and you're more likely to think of Kiss without make-up.

"It's fun, happy music," says Passmore, who admits to playing the tennis racket, Slash-style, in his youth.

Nixon: "Yeah, it's positive. We're certainly not doom and gloom."

Their songwriting process is suitably enjoyable. Crumb only stick with songs if they can be written within about three minutes, hence the occasionally meaningless lyric. They're not too fussed if they change them around either, although that makes for some interesting live back-up singing.

"There's been times we've written a song over a period of nights and we're all like, 'This sucks'," says Passmore. "Let's get rid of it."

Nixon: "We don't have any delusions of being master songwriters, of artistic agony. It's just simplicity. Rock with a good melody."

On stage

*Who: Crumb

*Where: The Studio, tonight