The Frames

It's just not music's ability to entertain or music being art, but also music's ability to move you which makes it one of life's great things. When you want to be entertained and moved at the same time, the correct surroundings can do wonders to help. The Garage is not exactly the most romantic of venues but it's often argued whether it's the venue which makes a gig, or the people contained within. Is the Barrowlands really all that people make it out to be? It's cavernous, the barrier is ridiculously high, it's in the grotty east end of Glasgow and it has a sticky floor, yet you will always, always hear bands and punters singing its praises. But I digress (as per usual).

The Frames are a lucky band. Not only do they have some of the nicest, most enthusiastic fans in the world, the band has that unique ability of being able pull your emotional heartstrings in all manner of directions. No offence to the Garage but they fact they're playing here and aren't yet at the level of Shepherd's Bush Empire or The Astoria et al is fucking criminal. And it's YOUR FAULT, British record-buying public. When bands are big on their home turf - in this case, Dublin - and play to bugger-all in London, it's enough to split many of them up… or just stop playing here. Fortunately, after over 10 years, The Frames are on the up in this country. We shall ignore the fact that a large portion of their audience here is Irish and scowling at the non-Guinness-serving bar…

From the opening of the brooding 'Santa Maria', it was clearly going to be one of those gigs that would live on in my mind for years. Whereas their last London gig (at the Spitz) seemed a bit more cabaret - slightly too many impromptu comedy cover versions and lines nicked from other songs, and singer Glen Hansard (who played Outspan in 'The Commitments', young fact fans. My god, is that film really over 10 years old now?) telling the story behind each song before it was played - this was a full, proper GIG. A gig with a BAND playing SONGS and the audience SINGING and EVERYTHING and not so much FUNNY SHIT (which is all very well and good but it would grate if they did it every time and besides, that Spitz gig was the best gig I'd been to all year before this one).

Most of 'For The Birds', their 2001 album, is a slow and emotional affair, and much is played tonight. The audience shuts up for the most part, when they're not belting their lungs out along with Hansard or jabbering about yesterday's footie result (the Irish Republic won an important match, in case it slipped you by). The singing reaches maximum volume one some of the faster, older songs, like the off-kilter pop gem that is 'God Bless Mom'.

That's what I mean about tugging your heart strings in all manner of directions

• they can be moody bastards one minute and jumpabout popstars the next. The Frames, my dear, excel in all fields.