大象传媒

It's not And So I Watch You From Afar's night. In that it's not their gig to own. Unlike glorious headline shows, during which they've torn venues apart and stoked their very own ( rapidly increasing) fan base, tonight they're a little bit subdued. Reeling out a couple of new tracks (the best/slowest of which sounds like the guitar solo in Radiohead's The Tourist), they're definitely running on about 80%. Here are a band who, like many they emulate, only truly shine under their own spotlight. Which is, we guess, fair enough.

The good news for Holy F**k is they're playing a gig 'we should all be seen at'. This is according to some fantastically dressed scenesters beside ATL at the bar. They're (kinda) joking (they claim) but given We Are Scientists and Reverend and the Makers have sold out nearby venues, only the coolest kids with the tightest trousers and best hair have made it to the Speakeasy. But are this much discussed, 茂驴陆must see' band any good?

Kind of. Their improvisational style of performing and novel instruments onstage (the frontman pulls tape from what may be an echo chamber, throughout, while screaming through a small distortophone) more than make up for the lack of vocals. And the wall of sound and looping riffola just about makes up for the lack of hooks. They're at their best when they're changing the pace - the funk paste of 'Milkshake' and the techno-rock encore.

But, for 'Lovely Allen' alone, this band have written a license to do what they want. It soars above everything we hear tonight, as if performed by a different band, on a different planet.

Sometimes, one song is all you need.

Rigsy