The Zutons

"Look at this! There was only about ten people here a minute ago – we were getting worried!" With their afternoon jitters firmly quashed by the hundreds that have gathered in the basement of Virgin Megastore, Mr. McCabe and his fellow Zutons take the stage. It is then with a quick thumbs up and a nod to the four extremely happy faces behind him, that one of the finest bands of the moment begin a selection of tunes from their debut LP - and the reason why we’re all here - ‘Who Killed… The Zutons’.

It’s only six o’clock, the sun’s still out and the atmosphere in Virgin is somewhat reminiscent of a leisure centre - not the best surroundings for a gig then. However, it is with this is mind that ‘Zuton Fever’ starts the band, and to some extent their audience bopping like it's Friday-ruddy-night. The opening track on the record is a perfect introduction to this band’s totally infectious live performance. From left to right we have: Russell Pritchard (bass, out-of-control head), Dave McCabe (rasping vocals, guitar), Sean Payne (loopy drums)m Abi Harding (sax power, crazy dancing), and Boyan Chowdhury (measured guitar, paced grooving).

It is a combination that seems to have effortlessly fallen together. It is this mixture along side the tunes themselves, that make The Zutons a great live act. Whether it’s the manic ‘Pressure Point’ the lilting ‘Remember Me’ or the wild ‘Havana Gang Brawl’ the band are rocking three-hundred percent throughout every single song. Marred only by a few guitar problems - we’re in a guitar shop! Irony is alive and well in W1 – tonight's short gig is a success. For all those who hadn’t bought the album, a quick trip upstairs to the new releases section, and for the rest a realisation that these songs work a hundred times better in a live situation than they do on record.