Turbonegro

Turbonegro's image is questionable - why would a Scandinavian wear an American flag - but they rock, no question. And is that a steam punk on the right

I knew about Turbonegro before, of course, but recently I re-discovered them. I'd bought Scandinavian Leather and enjoyed it but don't have any of its tracks on my pay lists.

Searching for the soundtrack of Repo Man I stumbled across Turbonegro's cover version and thought it was great. It's a very courageous thing to do, follow a class act like Iggy Pop but Turbonegro managed it and matched it. Phew!

Euroboy can't walk on water but crowds are easy

Next I stumble across them on YouTube doing Suffragette City by David Bowie live only - dare I say it - better. And I'm a big Bowie fan. It's Bauhuas doing Ziggy Stardust all over again with a version that is higher powered and just that little bit faster - one of the few instances of a cover version being better than the original, in my humble opinion. Meanwhile, Turbonegro's Repo Man is as good as Iggy Pop's, which is high praise indeed, just like The Hellacopters meet the Iguana head on with their cover of I gotta right. Euroboy of Turbonegro can even do that Iggy bending over backwards thing while playing git-argh!

Do two cover versions count as one choice for a Desert Island Disc? They would have to!

This is the pose I search for in yoga but without the git-argh!

So I thought, did I buy the wrong album? I now have a short Turbonegro playlist on my iPOD that features a couple of original compositions, namely Hot Stuff Hot Shit and Wasted (again). And I can't stop listening to them. I don't like the lipstick-and-sailor-hats or the American flag thing (Turbonegro are Norwegian for Chrissake) but these boys rock. I think the only thing they take seriously is fun. To my ears they're great and that's what matters.

Their latest album is called Retox and I think I might need it for the sound track to my next high-octane engine-punk book.

Tip - if you do follow the link above to the front page of their website, click on the stain on the front of the pair of trousers....