Arctic Monkeys @ Barrowlands

Yeah I know, it's pink, mutters Alex Turner by way of a greeting, as he pre-empts any potential teasing regarding the rather luminous t-shirt he's decided to premiere in Glasgow tonight. Any other apprehension the 'Monkeys may have harboured over how the "new stuff" might go down is dissipated as soon as new single Brianstorm thunders into life, and the crowd bellow along to its Morricone-does-metal guitar riff. Even the prog-like moments from upcoming album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, are greeted by a never less than enthusiastic response from a Barrowlands massive eager to transmit a tidal wave of good feeling towards the Sheffield boys. Local luminaries Franz Ferdinand are seen nodding their sage approval from behind their fringes as the band scorch through a watertight set with barely a pause for breath. While almost every tune's a winner, it's the searing Scummy Man that undeniably wins the "Song Most Likely To Tear The Roof Off" award tonight. [Barry Jackson]