So all good things must come to an end, even if sometimes the final curtain tends to fall somewhat prematurely. Les Incompétents may be relatively unknown (and virtually unseen) outside of their native London home, but make no mistake: this band will go down as legends in their own backyard, even though their pre-disbanding recording career boasts no more than two singles in total.

Forget all the tabloid clamour about celebrity girlfriends – let’s face it, who isn’t classed as a celebrity these days? – and privileged backgrounds, the hypothesis and general ideology around Les Incompétents was about actually going out, creating their own band and making it happen for themselves. Sure, they may have had one or two contacts in the right places, but so do a million or so others. But you don’t see people travelling down from Leeds, Northampton and Nottingham, among other places, to catch a last, tear-stained glimpse of any old band before the last remnants of Jack Abattoir’s drum kit is kicked over and promptly looted for the last time.

So - and pardon the pun - where did it all go wrong? Obviously most people will point to the well-documented assault on singer Billy Bell in June of this year (he's looking in fine fettle this evening), and to an extent that may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. But after a few terse exchanges and dagger-shaped glances between Bell and fellow frontman Frederick Bang!, it soon becomes apparent that the tension that made them so uniquely special in the first place probably boiled over that one time too many recently.

Not that it clouds anyone’s attention or memories too much, as for an hour the only thing that matters to all and sundry are the songs, man, and when it comes to rolling out the classics Les Incompétents don’t disappoint.

‘Reunion’ – so apt bearing in mind this is the first time Bell and Bang! have shared a stage in months - also sees the return of former bassist Ollie Russian, not to mention the first of many stage invasions resulting in spilt pints, gashed shins and newly forged friendships. Likewise, ‘Oh What A Shame’ and ‘How It All Went Wrong’ sound like the bastard offspring of Shane MacGowan and The Coral’s James Skelly, sons that neither was informed of until it was too late to do anything about their wayward genius spiralling out of control. The closing ‘Kriss Akabusi’, meanwhile, ends with an improvised rap and more people on stage than in the audience. Plectrums and drumsticks are whisked away as souvenirs – one person even attempts to grab an amplifier.

If this is the last time we’ll see all the members of Les Incompétents on stage together, then thanks for the memories lads, no matter how few and far between they are. To the biggest, most ramshackle riot show on earth: RIP.

Photos courtesy of Mark Moore