Review by Steve Bennett

All really that remains is the incestuous relationship between drummer Astrid and her sibling guitarist Otto, mirroring the ambiguity that Jack and Meg White once exploited for worldwide publicity.

But this isn’t done with a great deal of subtlety as their increasingly acrimonious sibling rivalry releases their barely-repressed passion, until they are writhing on the floor together in forbidden lust.

That’s really the extent of the joke, padded out over almost 50 minutes despite the obvious inevitability. They try to make up for the paucity of inspiration by bringing a pounding, shouty energy in their songs - but it just converts their obvious amateurism into enthusiastic amateurism.

What gags there are come from their vicious competitiveness, each of them, for instance, vying to have the last chord in a particularly longwinded track, but otherwise they are simply loud and brash.

Their music, which is created by miniature toy instruments, isn’t a close spoof of the White Strips, more an encapsulation of their rock spirit. They are light on lyrics, which limits the capacity for jokes - not that this duo seem particularly adept at writing them – and the tracks are repetitve. Even in this mercifully short show, their theme tune, boasting a full two lines of lyrics, is played twice – just enough for the admittedly catchy hook to burrow its way into your brain.

As a ten-minute slot, Die Roten Punkte (which translates as The Red Dots) would do fine, with the exuberance of their physical and musical performance enough to see see them through. But it’s all very light for a full-length show.

Die Roten Punkte? Nein danke

Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
May 2006

Review date: 1 Jan 2006
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett