Young Knives, Shepherd's Bush Empire, 26 February 2007

Seeing the Young Knives is a bit like watching your Dad and his mates perform a drunken impromptu gig at a wedding reception only to discover they can actually play instruments surprisingly well.

Tweed suit wearing lead singer Henry Dartnall admitted to the crowd that they’re probably 10 years older than most bands on the NME tour, but band think its hip to be square and their fans love them all the more for it.

From former single She’s Attracted To, about a nightmare encounter with a new girlfriend’s parents, to B-side Kramer vs. Kramer, they play a set of deftly crafted songs bursting with pop punk guitar energy and catchy, witty lyrics.

There was sharp banter between Dartnall and his base playing brother The House of Lords as Dartnall said they felt a bit adventurous and asked the fans if they wanted him to take his top off. My guess is they probably didn’t given he’d dedicated their entire set to the love of chips.

A riotous crowd sang along as they ended with their spiky feel-good anthem Weekends and Bleak Holidays.

The Young Knives are one of the tightest the three pieces around but their set barely lasted an hour. More next time please.