Live Review: The John Steel Singers, Go Violets, Donny Benet

The scuzzed-out cousin of Barry Morgan that is Donny Benet mooged out like no other to kick off the whole dance party disco jam.

Go Violets released their EP Heart Slice a few weeks back, if you've been meaning to pick up a copy – do it. Now. They have Janet English (Spiderbait)-sounding vocals, riffs and harmonies that are somewhere between Shangri-Las meets The Breeders meets Best Coast, and a little northern English grit thrown in for good measure. Teenager is an obvious hit with Shake A Leg holding up well against the newer releases. Their tangled leads and awkwardness is endearing, coupled with a messy earnestness that is without ego or pretence.

There are a few things you need to know about The John Steel Singers' set at The Den last week. Pay attention, because in years to come people will be talking about it. The first is the band, of course - their general awesomeness and ability to rip through favourite tracks and new stuff seamlessly. From Strawberry Wine to Masochist to State Of Unrest to MJ's On Fire Again to the big Rainbow Kraut finale, all of it was golden. There are no rough edges to this band, that's not to say that they're overly affected, but every layer seems well considered before being included as part of a track. The synth surf synergy is mastered, with no element outweighing the other, quite like early Gomez work. The second thing you need to know is that random chick who danced on stage, with the encouragement of the band and eventually the rest of the crowd, but then slammed her back when her boyfriend helped her down. The entire room gasped, but all was good. The final special moment came during the jam in the middle of TGI Tuesdays when the amp blew. I've never seen a band hold it together so coolly, just jamming on while the issue was fixed within a couple of minutes. Oh and when Donny Benet joined them on stage, and the fairy lights, and the banter…Who am I kidding, the whole night was memorable.