Coming from the African desert and singing in Arabic, Tinariwen have a unique take on the blues. Inspired by John Lee Hooker, infusing their guitar-based numbers with gentle chants and the distinctive warble of mourning, they eschew the drum kit for pulsating percussion to create a hypnotic rumble. Each song throbs with longing, guitars curling and slinking around the swaying rhythm. Suggestive of a thousand oriental clichés, Tinariwen convert the austerity of The Arches into an oasis. With the words incomprehensible to the majority of the audience, Tinariwen rely on relaxed virtuosity to weave their majestic hallucination. Dividing their set into two, this gig is more formal concert than the background to beer-drinking. They capture the audience with discreet psychedelia, as each number settles into an easy pace, the voice and guitars whispering and seducing. Never aggressive, but always engaging, Tinariwen are one of world music's most glorious secrets.[Gareth K Vile]