Music: Meltdown QEH, London

There's something so naff about Meltdown. The title is meaningless; the extravagant programme book virtually without information; the presentation chaotic. Don't mind that your audience won't have a clue about what's being played: "The programme for tonight's concert will be announced from the stage." They must be kidding! A romp through half a dozen names; no notes about anybody; no notes about any pieces; no light to read by anyway. The South Bank goes anarchic. Anarchy? Not likely. Appalling management more like.

So begins another Meltdown, the annual festival instigated and promoted by the South Bank. After George Benjamin, Louis Andriessen and Elvis Costello, the latest victim as artistic director is the highly accomplished Finnish composer, Magnus Lindberg. Someone should tell him that this job could seriously damage his professional reputation. Admittedly, so few people attended the opening concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Saturday night that perhaps, without the Press present, word might never have got out.

Lindberg's festival should have opened with an orchestral concert (it was billed in the June events guide), but that seems to have suffered genuine meltdown - a pity, since Lindberg's finest writing is for orchestra (remember Corrente II, given a scintillating performance by the BBC SO at the Barbican a few years ago). In its place was a hotchpotch.

"Toimii," says the programme book, "is a 'laboratory' where Magnus and a host of Finnish musical luminaries indulge their wildest ideas (and we really do mean wild)..." Unfortunately, we also mean dated. Apart from smoothly efficient performances of mildly distinguishable pieces by Lindberg, Donatoni, Tiensuu, Knussen, Campion, Hakola and Juan Sebastian Bach from the five-man team - cellist Anssi Karttunen, clarinettist Kari Krikku, guitarist Timo Korhonen, percussionist Riku Niemi, plus Lindberg on piano (with Juhani Liimatainen sound projection), Lindberg's Action-Situation- Signification, a 30-minute group "scratch", sounded like a Finnish AMM or the Euro-special, Musica Elettronica Viva, from at least a generation ago. True, the piece dates from 1982. The "astonishing double bill" was made up by the "amazing Tuvan throat singers with rock'n'roll energy!". Hard to believe that Yat-Kha with their grossly amplified instruments (including electric guitar) should be keepers of the ancient "Kargiraa", a music that embraces the extraordinary sound of basso profundo overtone singing known as "khoomi". Albert Kuvezin, letting his vocal cords hit the ground, certainly gives the Tibetan monks a run for their money. Too bad that every piece was at the same (low) pitch, the same high volume, and the same level of crudeness. Not a Lindberg choice I'm given to understand.

National Finish Work on Time Day seemed to have made no penetration of RFH2 as the fourth part of the concert rolled into action at 11.30 pm. I admit I fled, not least out of hunger. Catering facilities for concerts lasting more than four hours? Meltdown, a description for management?

n To 6 July. Info: 0171-960 4242