Despite the fact that there is no place in this day and age for a mohawked drummer, support band Swimming live up to the moniker of the night. ‘Panthalasa’ opens as a creature of epic beauty, before becoming a hybrid of Buzzcocks rock and 21st Century psychedelia.

After such an impressive sound, Bear Hands come across as slightly underwhelming. Switching between short sharp bursts of pedal driven funk rock and more folky numbers, it seems to me that the band haven’t quite honed ‘their sound’.

Which perhaps isn’t surprising, given that they hail from Brooklyn, where the fashions move so quickly that anyone trying to become peers of a ‘scene’ have to possess extra-sensory perception. Listening closer, however, and their are some gems in their catalogue. ‘Tablasaurus’ could lay claim to creating a new genre, with its afro-drumming aligned to an MGMT-esque backdrop. Afro-Psyche, perhaps?

Unfortunately it’s omitted here, which seems a pity as the set-list is lacking something outstanding. Dylan Rau’s drawled vocals suit ‘Long Lean Queen’s scuzz rock excellently, and there are just bits of potentially good songs, but none are greater than the sum of their parts. Solid, but unspectacular.

Richard Bowes