The Gin Riots

Formed at Uni by friends Guy Stevenson and Cillian Logue The Gin Riots have New Wave written all over them, but the beauty of this four piece is their ability to straddle the genre with nods to punk and influences as diverse as the Cure and Bert Jansch. Coming through in tracks such as The Polka, front man Guy Stevenson lauds a tale of misfortune in a foreign land, the track twists and turns bringing us through lovecats base and punchy drums into a whispered line before we head back to the frenzy. ‘I Didn’t mean it’ gets us all limbered up with its powerpogueesque changes and chorus, egged on by Stevenson’s flitting dance moves, often traversing the usual stage/floor barrier to shake it for the crowd. No time to catch your breath as they punch straight into El Torro, at heart stopping speed we hear of loneliness and passion only made all the more sweet by the Pneumatic stable lad of a lead singer. Funnily, their energetic and what feels like laddish charm would suit the iPod on the way to work just as well as a lairy night on the lash.

Claire Quinn October 16, 2007