Hot Hot Heat @ Oran Mor

The lighting tech is earning his wages tonight. Not the prettiest of bands, Hot Hot Heat look every inch the rock stars, bathed in blue, red and perfectly timed flashes of gold. It's not all a trick of the light though - since their last tour, Hot Hot Heat have evolved into a band that packs a hell of a punch. From the opening stabs of Harmonicas & Tambourines, to closing with a breathless Goodnight Goodnight, every note oozes pure adrenalin. New-ish guitarist Luke Paquin is a wise addition, adding real power to No, Not Now, but it's singer Steve Bays that grips the attention. With his frantic vocals - he uses more words per minute than Kanye West, fact - impressive hair and peculiar dancing, he makes for an odd but strangely hypnotic frontman. It used to be easy to write Hot Hot Heat off as a one trick pony, but tonight they're full of the prerequisite greatness of a band with higher aspirations. [Heather Crumley]