Uncle John and Whitelock @ The Bongo Club

Rolling into town like a crazed urban preacher, Uncle John & Whitelock has arrived to repent the sins of the non-believers. With the snarling energy of a storm brewed in the Deep South this band encapsulates inner city anxieties and spits them out as a discordant mass of punk-fuelled aggression. Sounding like a distorted Captain Beefheart philandering with the biblical barbarism of Nick Cave, this is an exhilarating performance of introverted claustrophobia and crunching blues. The effects of a traversing bass drum hinder this swamp infested set but the hyper-active convulsions of vocalist/guitarist Jacob Lovatt ensures a tumultuously captivating display. Maryhill Vibe seethes with virulent venom whilst the highlight is a stomping cover of Robert Palmer's Addicted To Love that piously writhes into the pit of your sanctimonious soul. Aurally uncompromising and aesthetically provocative, Uncle John & Whitelock create the devil's music - and for that we should praise the lord. [Billy Hamilton]