Mumm-Ra

Although this gig is officially a Levi's One to Watch showpiece, there seems to be very little in the Barfly to suggest that we are here at the mercy of trouser-makers' tastes. There is, however, the suggestion that we are here at the mercy of Big Music Co. - SonyBMG, to be precise.

We enter the normally dingy venue to be greeted by a room covered in shiny Mumm-Ra balloons. This is a clever reference to new single 'Out Of The Question''s artwork featuring a hot-air balloon; it also fits nicely with the branded bass drum and t-shirt collection. It's a nice change from the drips of sweat that usually hang from the Barfly's ceiling, but it all seems a bit slick for a band still playing such wee venues.

The band themselves, despite the dreadful Thundercats-referencing name, are professional to a tee. They take the stage to sound problems, which frontman James Noo cunningly diverts our attention from with his 'favourite joke': "Where does Kylie get her kebabs from? Jason's Donner Van." Yowch.

And then it's a bit, well, alright really. Mumm-Ra's synths could be taken straight from The Killers, their harmonies from The Automatic, and as a package it works - you can see them being huge, but it all seems a bit hollow. Noo dances on the monitors and hangs from the lighting rig. He holds his hand in a yodel position as he belts out the most tempestuous moments of songs. Perhaps someone should tell him what his microphone is for.

It's all well and good for pleasing the crowd, but a little too self-conscious and considered; a bit rock 'n' roll in a Top Shop Mötorhead t-shirt sense. 'She's Got Your Eye' is dedicated to bassist Niall Buckler, who is playing his first gig since busting his knee "tackling a goal post". It's also one of the band's best songs, poppy enough to ride the coattails of the likes of The Kooks but with enough fizz to keep up pretensions of being a rock band. This, in the current indie-fied chart climate, should be a guarantee of future success.

And then there's the new single. 'Out Of The Question' is out now, as both Noo and the scattered branded balloons remind us of a few times. The plugs are worth it because it's very much the highlight of the set, a raspy little bugger with an intro that sounds like ELO playing the theme to Antiques Roadshow (a good thing). It should, with a bit of a push, make minor stars of Mumm-Ra.

But don't tell that to the rude punter who bought a copy of the single on 7” and then proceeded to throw it in the urinals. He might just live to rue his actions.