The Enemy @ Barrowlands, 15 Mar

Having realised that banal, modern-day punk albums are ten-a-penny these days, The Enemy have decided to branch out… kind of. They open tonight with a new track heavy on thumping drums that is more reminiscent of Led Zeppelin than anything they’ve done before. New single Sing When You’re in Love, Sing When You’re Out of Love may have a ridiculous title, granted, but it also signals that the band have returned more confident in their own ability as songwriters. Nevertheless, new cuts slot into the set nicely alongside the likes of the anarchy-inducing Aggro and Pressure. But even with a new musical direction, onstage, Tom Clarke will always be a gobby little frontman. And why not? He plays the part so well, spitting at his microphone and staring out the audience. An energetic showing is only marred slightly by the somewhat unnecessary and trite images of the lion rampant and the presence of a piper during the encore. Come on lads, seriously?