Steve Mason @ The Liquid Room, 26 October

Steve Mason confidently strides on stage to a roar of approval from what can loosely be considered a hometown crowd. The Beta Band might have long since flown the nest, but the capital played an important part in their development, and it was here at the Liquid Room that they bowed out. It’s sobering to think that this was almost a decade ago, but Mason’s increasingly fruitful solo career leaves little room for sentimentality.

Tonight’s show highlights the best cuts from stellar new album Monkey Minds in Devil’s Time, including the sublime A Lot of Love – which could easily be mistaken for a lost Betas classic – but there’s also time to revisit forgotten gems like All Over You, recorded back when Mason relished under the sobriquet of King Biscuit Time.

Mason is in fine form, his smooth-yet-haunting voice impressing on the wistful lament of Boys Outside. But his burning desire for social justice, a recurring theme on his new record, is never far away. He introduces Fire, his new single, thus: “My mother is in tonight so I’m going to modify my language, but this next song is about burning the motherfucking government to the ground.”

In case you were left in any doubt as to his central message, Mason brings proceedings to a close with Fight Them Back. “Get up and fight them back, with a fist, a boot and baseball bat!” Mason intones over a George Clinton-esque bass line. You’re unlikely to hear a catchier call to anarchy this year.