Diet Cig @ Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 17 Oct

There's a warm welcome for The Spook School as they stop by their home turf to do what they do best – break hearts, raise smiles and kick against the pricks. The early appearance of Burn Masculinity – the band's personal rally against toxic male behaviour – is unfortunately as apt as ever tonight following a news week dominated by horrific reports of widespread sexual abuse in Hollywood. However, it's still utterly joyful in its defiance, setting the tone for a set of razor-sharp, super-smart pop-punk that won't take anyone's shit and does so with a smile on its face.

Thematically, new single Still Alive – from forthcoming third album Could It Be Different? – deals in similar feelings of righteous indignation, proudly shoving a middle finger in the face of an abusive partner with its moving cries of 'FUCK YOU! I'M STILL ALI-I-I-I-IVE'. Speak When You're Spoken To, in all its hook-heavy, queer pop brilliance, is another highlight; as is the addictive and witty Binary – a swift dismantling of the 'antiquated notions' of society's narrow-minded views on sexuality and gender. Ending on a touching and tearing version of Are You Who You Think You Are?, The Spook School are clearly benefiting from their heavy touring habit. They sound more confident than ever as they close out their short but solid set on a high and give us great cause for excitement in advance of a new album.

It's then onto touring buddies Diet Cig who are, from the first available opportunity – namely the bit where wryly-funny opener Sixteen kicks in – a spectacle of glee. Bounding across the stage and pogo-ing to every single beat, Alex Luciano, the front half of the upstate NY duo, never stops smiling as she loudly and proudly hammers big stadium-sized strums on her guitar. Any downtime lasts a matter of seconds before she's making full use of the space afforded by her lack of competing band members up front and her relatively tiny stature.

With drummer Noah Bowman a real force at the back providing the rock-hard skeletons on which Luciano paints bright, dripping colours, the band have clearly defined their own spaces and are, as a result, incredibly fun to watch. They also sound great too, with Luciano's guitar and sugary vocals providing ample treats for the ears, given a leg up over the fence by Bowman's driving beats. 

Even the between-song banter – equal parts positivity, love, and over-excitement – is entertaining in its own right, and overall, a celebration of the unifying power of rock'n'roll. And while Diet Cig's material is admittedly all cut from a similar cloth, perhaps running the risk of sounding a little samey, the honesty and energy with which it's delivered tonight never gets boring.