Soul Circus @ ABC2

Soul Circus stick to a simple format: good time, blue-collar rock, with lyrics celebrating the joy of life and lust. Their crowd have already been put into party mood by the able support acts, and their muscular funk and 1970s' inspired guitar lifts the mood to hardcore. Influences are obvious: Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and even the Stone Roses, but they are melded into an aggressive and exciting whole. Rarely dropping the pace, they swagger without giving in to bombast, and their banter suggests a confident band creating a loyal fan-base. Loud and direct, they pull few punches: solos are kept to a minimum and the choruses are ready made for chanting and singalongs. They rarely let their virtuosity get in the way of the big rawk sound, ending a good sized set - short, but not too short - with well-deserved cheers from a lively, if hardly sober, crowd. [Gareth K Vile]