Blimey, talk about saving the best for last. 2006 isn't likely to go down as a vintage year for music (I'm currently struggling to come up with 10 albums for a best of the year feature - might have to settle for five), but the have been some great gigs, and this was one of the best - an astonishingly good line-up, a packed venue, free sherry and a tombola all add up to a gigging experience that will live long in the memory.

First up are Subliminal Girls. This worries me slightly, as they count amongst their number long time Maps co-conspirators Jim & Arran Rhesus, and it's the first time I've seen the band live. If they're shit, I'm left with one of those awkward reveiwing dilemmas - friends vs journalistic integrity. Fortuately for me,

I'm spared that quandry as the band kick into life a couple of songs in with an infectious energy and knack for catchy songwriting that draws on the component parts of the band (the raw energy of Rhesus, the pop sparkle of Ciccone, and the humour and the dark humour of The Video Club) to good effect, culminating in the effervescent burst of 'Burn Koko', and a cheeky cover of Duran Duran's 'Hungry Like the Wolf'.

It's still early days for Subliminal Girls, but the auspices are good so far.

It's far from early days for next act Art Brut - well, three of them at least, as today drummer Mike & guitarist Jasper are absent - who have become something of an indie staple over the past couple of years. Tonight, we begin with Eddie Argos and Ian Catskilkin playing an unrehearsed set of requests, including a shambolic,

and most likely never to be repeated, impromptu cover of 'House of the Rising Sun', to which they only knew about half of the words - If they're getting by more on charm and good humour than precision and tighness, I don't see anyone complaining, for tonight's set isn't about recreating their debut album (from which all bar one of the Brut tracks are drawn tonight) note for note, it's about having fun, and it fits the baudy atmosphere perfectly.

Halfway through, the duo are joined by bassist Freddy, and a stand in drummer & second guitarist (one of whom they met for the first time this afternoon), and launch into a final flourish of some of their best known tracks, including an emphatic 'Formed

a Band', and latest single 'Nag Nag Nag Nag'. In January they start work on their second album, their first for Mute Records, it promises to be one of the musical treats of 2007.

Before tonight I knew little about We Are The Physics. Their debut EP 'Less Than Three' (review here), was good fun, but gave no hint as to the glorious chaos which they are about to unleash upon an unspecting

Buffalo Bar.

After parading the creepy glass head that they'd won at the tombola, the Glaswegian four piece launch straight into a set of taught, angular riffage, machine gun drumming and yelped vocals that draws on the best bits of The Futureheads, Mclusky and The Hives, and discards the chaff.

All of which would be impressive enough, but factor in a frenetic stage presence and a breezy, disarming between songs manner and you've got something genuinely special. And by the time of frontman Michael third leap from the drumkit, the entire audience is smitten.

Your new favourite band? Quite possibly. Although earlier in the year following an astounding performance at God Is In The TV's G-Spot festival, I would have handed that moniker to tonight's headliners, Untitled Musical Project.

Tonight however, the vitriolic Brummies are slightly off colour. "Thanks to We Are The Physics. Fucking hell, they're making us sound bad." Exclaims frontman Kieran Duffy, "In future we only want bad bands playing with us - bad or drunk bands."
"I'd say we probably fit one of those descriptions tonight," retorts bassist Andrew Barry Graham.

But while they're a little sloppy around the edges, the quality of tracks like 'Take Your Funk and Funk Off' and

new single 'Beards and Drugs' shine through the sludge, all Mcluskyish venom and chugging heavy riffage, punctuated with Duffy & Graham's sharp vocals, and it's not long before we're thrashing around to their metal tinged punk flagellations.

Goodbye to 2006 then, we could hardly have given it a better send off.

Review & Photography by Paul Madden
www.myspace.com/untitledmusicalproject
www.wearethephysics.com
www.artbrut.org.uk
www.myspace.com/subliminalgirls

See more pictures from this gig:
Untitled Musical Project
We Are The Physics
(p)Art Brut
Subliminal Girls

Listen to a live version of Art Brut's 'Moving to LA', and to Subliminal Girls' 'Burn Koko' and 'Mirror' on the Maps Online Advent Calendar.