Halfway through the gig, I count heads. There are about thirty people in the Army & Navy tonight, to see one of the most exciting young bands in the country. Quite what that says about the apathy of today's youth, I don't know, but it's worth bearing in mind.

Chlorine can't decide whether they want to be Korn or Rage Against The Machine. Indeed, they have a go at being both, and almost succeed. Their own material is passable, but too derivative to be of much interest. Nu metal by numbers, with bland vocals.

Ill Logic are rather more impressive. The vocalist thinks he's American, but this is more endearing than irritating. The music is a straightforward rap-rock thing which verges on Raging Speedhorn at times, but settles closer to Faith No More for the most part.

"If you want to hear all the songs again,", says vocalist Gen Tasker, halfway through Defenestration's criminally short set, "We've got an album out in the shops. It's called "One Inch God" and it's got a wooden thing on the cover. And it's blue."

You've got to hand it to her. She's refined her stage patter perfectly, connecting with the adolescents in the front row in the way that only a cute little blonde can. The rest of the band is as solid as ever, the tiny stage allowing them the opportunity to bounce off each other literally as well as figuratively. "Kill The Prophets", "Thrill of the Chase", and debut single "Stitch" fly by in a blur of female-fronted metal terrorism which Tairrie B would kill for, by turns light and dark, cuddly and ferocious.

The unfeasibly catchy "Glory" and "Mushroom God" follow, and the "crowd" is just starting to get going, before "Till The Cows" wraps it all up, and the band depart one by one, leaving drummer Stacey alone to keep rhythm behind a wall of feedback. The seven people who bothered to get involved are looking suitably impressed, and a bit annoyed that it's all finished before they've had a chance to break into a sweat. Still, leave 'em wanting more, eh?