Cajun Dance Party @ Cabaret Voltaire

Surrounded by small people with fresh faces, it dawns that Cajun Dance Party aren't even old enough to get into nightclubs like this yet. It's debatable whether the old clichés about bairns' tastes in music still apply, with internet technology making the development of a close relationship to music so much easier for young people. Is that argument enriched by this performance? Well, not really – Cajun Dance Party are neither hopelessly naïve, nor smart beyond their years. Their comparisons to The Cure do not extend to the melancholy depths of Faith – more like Friday I'm In Love's romantic glory, and when they do swap carefree pop for emotion it's not convincing. What's more, some of the soloing is painful and the epic closer (before the encore that nobody calls for) uses several rock clichés but forgets to include a tune. Still, with a handful of good ideas and a manic stage presence mastered, a bit of focus could see CJP passing their next exam. [Ally Brown]