Les Savy Fav

Les Savy Fav are coming your way. You better watch out, you better not cry. But unlike our favourite balding, pot-bellied man with a beard, LSF’s vocalist Tim Harrington is more than a little crazy.

I say that after witnessing a sweat- and beer-soaked 550-capacity show, remarkable for Harrington’s rapid sartorial decline. He saunters on stage dressed as a top hat-wearing country gentleman and leaves in just a pair of blue-hued tighty-whiteys, having gradually shed his clothes during the set.

In between, he uses all manners of props – from containers of glitter to the balcony as climbing frame – in a riveting performance. Strutting around like he belongs on the cover of Men’s Fitness, Harrington might be more Beth Ditto than Justin Timberlake, but one show at a time he’s bringing sexy back in his own style. Although he’s more camp warble than honeyed vocal chords, as Sinatra crooned, he’s doing it his way.

The music itself is good, honest fun, but nothing original; the band is solid but a long way short of being as tight as Harrington’s Y fronts. To be frank, they’re probably also upstaged by a seven-year-old girl who jams onstage with her pink toy guitar having just been presented with a cheque for winning a recent LSF video competition. She looks a little confused as to what is going on but, with all her classmates tucked up in bed, is probably the most punk thing I’ve seen all year.

Over the last few years LSF have been building a big reputation for their live performances, and rightly so. Harrington is manic – using props in whatever manner springs to mind; dressing up, dressing down and simply undressing. He regularly involves the crowd - be it to help with the vocals, tearing through punters left and right, front and back or getting them to fellate his mic. Whatever he throws out there is lapped up, crowd members like kids on Santa Claus’ knee.

Recently signed to Wichita in the UK, with a new album (Let’s Stay Friends) and heading to local shores in October, LSF are on a roll. Their catchy tunes aren’t groundbreaking, but with a live show most mothers wouldn’t want you to attend, they’re definitely worth seeing. When this Santa comes to town, whatever you do don’t go to bed early.

Photograph: Edwina Hay