Future Of The Left @ Broadcast, 2 November

Visibly startled by the sweltering, heaving, meat-patty of bodies, unceremoniously crammed into tonight's capacity show at Broadcast, Future Of The Left join proceedings with the ambient temperature already up in the thousands. Not that they do much to help matters, launching quickly into the guttural tones and biting lyrical satire of Arm Eritrea. In a room full of punters already far too familiar with each other's personal space, things start to get messy.

Under the able command of quick-witted Welsh charm-offensive Andy Falkous, both FotL and brilliant precursor Mclusky have prospered without compromising the dissonance and undeniable playfulness of their approach. A nicely balanced journey through the back catalogue, old and new, tonight highlights just what a beacon of hope this band have proven for a generation otherwise led to believe that successful rock music is an exercise in laboured personal grooming, neutered apolitical platitudes and tattoos.

Some minor technical issues with an uncooperative synthesiser invite a dip into the Mclusky collection mid-way. Thankfully the gloriously simple, belligerent bass line and irreverent rodomontade of To Hell With Good Intentions are especially welcome cat nip to this gleeful, seething mass. Staccato riff-juggernauts Future Child Embarrassment Matrix, from the recent album, and adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood are also notable triumphs in an evening fit to burst with them. And people. [Chris Cusack]