The stage in the Hop & Grape is large by no means and it seems that Aereogramme have been boxed in further still by several amps and a spare drum kit. The band have been in the UK for but a day since returning from their “Beards Across America” tour across, strangely enough, America. En route, their sampler has been wrecked, their DAT damaged and now, on top of that, they have to operate in an area not fit for an under-active hamster.

This stops them, not a bit. Aereogramme slam out a vastly intense performance comprised mainly of tracks off their debut release “A Story In White”. The oft-used tactic of ‘quiet/LOUD’ rock music is surely played at its best by these Scottish noise merchants. They played tonight to a crowd that could never be described as lively but kept their set hiked up to the maximum volume and energy. Given the space that they were allowed they did very well to move at all. Bassist Campbell McNeil almost succeeding in destroying his side of the stage in an effort to pummel his bass into seemingly instant submission and frontman Craig B certainly took his microphone by surprise on not just the one occasion tonight. His sporadic screaming would deafen you without amplification – it was amplified. A lot. Some fantastic drumming from Martin Scott brought the 3-piece together and they put on an amazing show.

If you are reading this and you haven’t seen Aereogramme yet, you’ve probably just missed your chance to see them live in 2001. You have my utmost sympathy because this is a band you have to see.