I HATE bands like The Calling. This is rock music. It's supposed to take the rules and smash them over one knee.

Rock should defy the ordinary, not be this lily-livered line of mid-Eighties, mid-tempo, middle-of-the-road humdrum.

Last Saturday, young York bands played their guts out at Y Rock, each of which would long for the record deal that The Calling has. !ron!c, in particular, from that line-up showed more invention in a four or five-song set than The Calling offer up in 13 tracks and umpteen minutes of tedium.

Then, to round it all off, they have the affront to cover The Clash's London Calling with so little punch it might as well be called Audley Harrison. If this is their calling, it must be hoped they haven't given up the day job.

Updated: 08:09 Thursday, June 24, 2004