The Phantom Band @ King Tut's, 26 Feb

The days when The Phantom Band could play unnoticed under a meaningless name of their displeasing have gone and tonight’s gig is a textbook example of a booking made oblivious of impending popularity. Such burgeoning interest is immediately validated by opener Burial Sounds, where walls of foreboding vocals sound almost apocalyptic and metal wall brackets double as percussion, leaving the front rows in awe, but also in fear from flying shrapnel. The lead-up to Throwing Bone’s barbershop breakdown elicits electrifying ‘whoops’ from the crowd and against expectations these six skinny white lads nail their most gleefully indulgent moment with nary a flinch. Even the glitches, and there’s one or two, are absorbed by a stunningly grand sound with a heavy leaning on playfulness that keeps a crowd well-versed in their debut album still guessing at every whimsical turn. This is where the elusiveness of The Phantom Band is distilled into gold. [Darren Carle]