Giant Drag

Interesting Giant Drag fact #1: Sheffield is the place where the phrase 'Giant Drag' is Googled the most. The smaller of Plug's two live rooms, playing host to the LA duo tonight, is relatively full but not enough to make that statistic seem any more plausible than Annie Hardy's story about the origin of the band's Chris Isaak cover. 'Wicked Game', she tells us, is a song Isaak stole from her when she dated him. As an eight year old, apparently.

There's more to the Giant Drag live experience than unlikely anecdotes, though; quite a bit more in fact. Hardy's ability to snarl sweetly (a paradox if ever we heard one) is by turns striking and unsettling, as is the fact that drummer Micah Calabrese manages to somehow pummel the skins and play his keyboard at the same time.

Despite this impressive feat, the majority of eyes and ears are fixed firmly on the frontwoman as the pair belt out the majority of debut LP Hearts & Unicorns. Though some of the arrangements are a little bit looser than the record, the Giant Drag live experience actually benefits from this rawer edge.

Drawing on the album's heavier numbers and opening with 'You Fuck Like My Dad', it's clear that Hardy is in cantankerous mood tonight. Before the equally bashful 'My Dick Sux', she informs us that her time of the month is fast approaching and warns the front row that they risk being "splattered with blood".

Once we retrieve our stomachs, the duo hammer into another slice of grungy rock and parity is restored. Interesting Giant Drag fact #47: they don't do encores, but after playing 'Kevin Is Gay' the only way to top it would be if Hardy actually made good her threat. As it is, we settle for this glorious slice of fuzzed-up indie and go home happy.