TrioVD @ Stereo, 23 Jun

Writing about jazz, it's not often you get to deploy words like 'punk', 'pure evil' and 'Christ my ears are bleeding', but tonight's TrioVD gig is an occasion to extend the lexicon. As for the evil I can't speak to their intentions but the effect is clear for all to see: they cause a harm that borders on the physical. And they enjoy it too.

Look at drummer Chris Bussey – at one point he abandons his sticks and takes to whaling on the kit with bare fists. The brute. Their set is largely improvised but they play with an ability to stop on a dime and cohere. When guitarist Chris Sharkey briefly hits a logical run of notes you immediately assume it's a mistake; it seems weirdly insulting to what's gone before, like the London Philharmonic busting out Never Gonna Give You Up. Owing a little to the early style and spirit of avant-garde sax alchemist John Zorn, TrioVD make for a compelling watch. [David McNally]