Cage the Elephant @ Moshulu, 14 Nov

It’s hot and sticky and the sold out audience are decidedly tetchy thanks to a chaotic armband system that seems to be failing at the five people deep bar. The band bounce on stage after a minute of trumpeting guitar feedback and most people decide to throw their drinks in the air. Wide-eyed lead singer Matt Shultz bounds towards the eager crowd wailing “are you scared?” before unleashing his energy throughout a charged forty minute set; gyrating and resembling a cross between Andy Warhol and a demented Fraggle. The gig reaches its zenith half way through as the band delivers their most well received single, Aint No Rest For The Wicked, giving this Moshulu crowd its moment to punch the air. But the set begins to wane when the band hits a formulaic stride and the sound begins to expire song by song. However, the kids down the front remain defiant as they sweat and pogo to the end, holding aloft a posturing Shultz on their shoulders like a victorious prize fighter after the encore. It’s been fun, it’s been hot, it has been Cage The Elephant. [Neil Walker]