Shonen Knife @ CCA, Glasgow, 29 Apr

"When I finally got to see them live, I was transformed into a hysterical nine-year-old girl at a Beatles concert.” So said Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, in perhaps the most ringing endorsement a band could ever hope to receive.

That's not to suggest though that Shonen Knife's longevity is merely a by-product of the grunge icon's backing. As they celebrate their 35th year with an anniversary tour and a new album that brings their total recorded output to twenty studio releases, the all-girl pop punk outfit from Osaka, Japan have deservedly attained 'legend' status of their own.

Digging energetically into their extensive back catalogue, the three piece (currently consisting of singer-guitarist Naoko Yamano and her sister, bassist Atsuko, alongside new recruit Risa, their 20 year old percussionist) deliver a high octane showcase of old favourites alongside material from the aforementioned new record Adventure.

From the power punk chords and irresistible surfer-rock chorus of Twist Barbie, to the infectiously positive Jump Into The New World (whose lyrics implore us to Jump into the new world/Challenge yourself/With a happy song in your heart) to encore number and charmingly guileless crowd favourite Banana Chips, Shonen Knife are endlessly vivacious and intensely likeable. 

That they're also adorably, endearingly cute certainly doesn't hurt Shonen Knife's appeal, though to reduce them to a girl-group novelty act severly undermines the three piece's skillful handling of rhythm, crackling guitar lines and punk-anthem hooks.

Sure, you don't walk away from a Shonen Knife gig with a drastically altered world view – politics, navel-gazing and the like are ceded in favour of lyrical whimsy, guitar windmills and sparkly self-made costumes – but you will leave asking yourself when it last was that a rock 'n' roll gig felt so refreshingly, delightfully fun.