Veruca Salt; The Muffs

((The Palace, Hollywood; 1,250 capacity; $ 15.50 top))

By TROY J. AUGUSTO

Promoted by Goldenvoice. Reviewed May 5, 1995.

Bands: (Veruca Salt) Nina Gordon, Louise Post, Steve Lack, Jim Shapiro; (Muffs) Kim Shattuck, Ronnie Barnett, Roy McDonald.

Now that most of the industry hype has died down surrounding last year's big A&R prize, Chicago's Veruca Salt, the coed quartet can get down to the business of living up to expectations. Or not.

At the packed Palace on Friday, the band, in a return to town following an opening slot on Hole's recent tour, gave a charged performance full of energy and spirit, but the bottom line is these four just aren't very good. Muffed guitar lines and foul vocals were the order of the day.

Such missteps can be forgiven for a struggling local group hoping for its shot. But for an act foisted on the public with all the hoopla that surrounded Veruca Salt, not delivering the goods is unfortunate and insufferable.

The band does have a number of strong songs (usually the weak link with new bands), but the sloppy execution leaves that point almost moot. Familiar titles like "Forsythia," opener "Get Back" and hit song "Seether" did stir the crowd up a bit, but ultimately left little impression on the house. A quick flame-out of the group's DGC debut, "American Thighs," on the SoundScan sales chart reflects that public reaction to Veruca Salt is a resounding "Next."

Second-billed L.A. band the Muffs certainly had a hand in spoiling Veruca's fun, as the fiery band, now trimmed to a trio, blew the headliner off the stage.

Playing tunes from their new reprise set, "Blonder and Blonder," the Muffs, led by the crazed Kim Shattuck, are a tight and hungry band on the verge of something big.

Sporting a lunatic urgency all too rare in contemporary music, Shattuck and her mates, bassist Ronnie Barnett and new drummer Roy McDonald, turned catchy melodic phrases into manic musical attacks that pummeled like a flurry of Oscar de la Hoya punches. Here's the next big thing, if there's any justice.

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