The days when one could enjoy an ‘intimate’ audience with the Mystery Jets were over… we thought. Sipping champagne on the antique chaise-long (a family heirloom) in daddy’s home-built, pre-deal hang-out – all smoking jackets and sitars – was, we assumed, a thing of the past. And if we wanted to see the boys perform we had to – like all the other bloody riff raff - pay for the privilege… Outrageous!

That was, of course, until some bright young thing at Gaymer’s cider dreamed up last week’s ‘exclusive’ gig as Filthy McNasty’s took over this pub in Twickenham. A handful of West London’s lucky elite were in touching distance… And we weren’t even round their gaff!

Since the departure of posh dad and general rock relic, Henry Harrison, the band’s live line-up has been reduced to a four piece. The on-stage dynamic, though, has not been compromised. An electrifying set that included stuff from the assured second album as well as older hits was truly impressive as the Mystery Jets proved that sometimes nice boys do play rock n’ roll. Sorry Axl…

Michael Wylie-Harris