Live Review: Sex On Toast, Alárìíyá, Bastard Amber

Bastard Amber (aka Hannah Macklin) is a pitch-perfect glossy dream. The rich organ chords and drums are a lush contrast to her echoing, high-pitched vocal runs that go on and on.

When she tells punters to sing along, we secretly hope they don't, for fear of ruining the melodic deliciousness that is her voice. And if her pipes alone aren't enough to grab your attention, then her metallic-gold glistening jacket, catching beams of light from all angles, totally does the trick. She doesn't need much else up there — the keys and kit are more than enough, because the power in her set lies in the vocals itself. She more than does justice to Rihanna's Kiss It Better, and winds it up in a flurry of powerhouse notes and keys to kill.

Seven-piece Afrobeat funk group Alárìíyá take to the stage with every possible ounce of infectious energy imaginable. They're essentially the aural equivalent to that first sip of coffee you take in the morning, which immediately electrifies every last drop of lingering lethargy — except these guys are no ordinary latte; they're premium roast, steaming hot and just the right caffeinated kick in the face to have you elevated to the height of happiness. A tangle of sax, trumpet, keys and percussive goodness pour out into the room of punters getting loose and limber, letting go of all inhibitions.

As musicians nonchalantly stroll out onto the stage to simmering soul chords, dressed in berets and dark sunglasses, we're instantly transported to a heavenly, hazy, '80s RNB fantasy. Mellow yellow-and-purple lights outline their still silhouettes, as the rest of Sex On Toast, equally sharp and suited, take to the stage. A deep, driving bass line and punchy vocals collide, constructing a thick wall of sound for the first track before powering straight into new jack swing concoction How Do You Get There. There's a face-meltingly good guitar solo, and a trombone one that follows shortly after, which is a rich, sweet treat.

These guys are proven masters of supreme syncopation, so tasty it'll jolt every last nerve in your body, all to be coloured with glittery vocal flourishes and four-part harmonies to add even more texture. Frontman Angus Leslie could probably sing a random page out of the dictionary and still find a way of making it sound like a decadent slow jam. Fans remain deeply in love with Takin' Over — one of Sex On Toast's early releases — as they sing not only every word, but ad libs also. With a smooth transition, the band pay their respects to the legend, Prince, with a brief but blissful cover of I Would Die 4 U.

The stage is blackened as the moment everyone's been waiting for kicks off. Newly released slow-burning, sultry jam 4U bleeds out of the speakers and into the sweaty clutter of the crowd hanging onto every note. The descending key change in this track pulls on the heart strings, providing pure satisfaction. Of course, crowd favourite Oh Loretta has punters in a funk daze, a state propelled into overdrive during the delirious half-time breakdown in Give It To Me and into the rest of their 2016 EP, Ready.

One thing's for sure: with Sex On Toast, you're guaranteed the whole package. They're ultimate visual enjoyment with crazy choreography and costumes as well as wild vocals, arrangements to die for and the best-of-the-best instrumentalists. They're a weird and wonderful amalgamation of frivolity and total attention to detail, in both performance and musicality — which is why these guys are ridiculously deserving of so much respect.