大象传媒

Before the schtik of Cahir O Doherty, Fighting with Wire front man and comedy genius, Furlo are here and they've come prepared. As well as a room full of punters, they've brought enough material to batter out a satisfying set of pop-rock that seems to keep everyone happy. Catchy hooks, a good front-man and good songs to boot, it means they'll end the night with more fans than they started with.

Dutch Schultz are big and heavy. Your mother won't like it, but your eccentric great-aunt might. Its rock meets metal with touches of early Manic Street Preachers from this power trio. 'Slice' is so nice, you could have more than one, while their great ear for a hook comes back with a vengeance for 'Sit Down, Stand Up'.

Recent developments involving a stolen car mean LaFaro are now the angriest young men here today, with righteous indignation added to the raw power that was already there. The fury that is 'Tuppenny Nudger' opens the show, snarling like a previously dozing caged panther that's been kicked in the nadgers.

'So Punk Rock' continues the "aint broke, don't fix it" air of menace before they offer a song about the world's third best adult film star. There are no wheels being reinvented here, instead, the excess weight is being stripped off, the axles greased, engine retuned and the nitrous forced in as the turbocharger threatens to blow our doors off. Left sprawling like a Ferrari mechanic, we will come back for more.

Fighting With Wire are flagging a bit, claiming they can't wait to break and write some new material "so we can ditch these two riff wonders. It feels like I've been playing this song my whole life", rants Cahir, "...it makes me vomit sometimes".

A howling crowd don't care as those insanely catchy tunes grab us, 'Strength In Numbers' and 'Everyone Needs A Nemesis', which should be renamed 'Everyone Needs An NME'. For yes, they acknowledge their little spat (NME tore them apart in a recent review) but they don't care, in fact "we're f***ing glad".

'Cut The Transmission' has everything you could want in a song, before they threaten to introduce a ballad. But after a fine intro, they give us 'Sugar' instead.

Fighting With Wire - phase one may be coming to an end. It shall be missed... but lets drink to what the future holds.

William Johnston