Vincent Vincent and the Villains @ Cabaret Voltaire

It's not difficult to pin down exactly why Vincent Vincent and the Villains make such a refreshing change from the massed mediocrity of the British band-scene. Bashing out a short, sharp set to a small but enthusiastic gaggle of converts at Cabaret Voltaire, the four-strong band of brothers from Bethnal Green prove that they are in possession of at least one or two killer tunes, a neat line in 'give a toss?' repartee and, perhaps most importantly, a 'band as a gang' mentality that sets them apart from the interchangeable hordes and brings to mind echoes of great collectives such as the Beatles, the Clash and the Libertines before it all went tits up. There's no arseing about in the melody department either – songs are kept simple with rockabilly and doo-wop frills augmenting lead singer Vincent's low Kevin Rowland-esque warble. A winning musical recipe then, from a group that have learnt their Rock'n'Roll lessons well. [Duncan Forgan]