Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

A very disappointingly empty S&A welcomes us this evening, forcing Ablespacer to grittily go through the motions and show willingness to play to what is an empty room. Still, 'Au Feu' with its melodic riffs is enough to engage the interest of those who are there, while instrumental 'Nine Feet' has a quiet determined rising power to it with it's crunchy Mezzanine-era Massive Attack drums, leading into the sneering Radiohead-esque Smalltown. This is not dedicated to the late Michael Jackson, nor indeed are any tracks, but the boys pause to acknowledge the King of Pop, while they close with a slightly restrained but still unhinged version of 'Butterfly Catch', the anger at the world bubbling up.

Delerium Tremens have the middle part of this evening's trilogy, and immediately start as they mean to go on with loud grunge-influenced rock, albeit it with a few tweaks in slightly different influences than the identikit Seattle Sound. There's the odd bit of RATM style funk mixed in there, while birthday dedication 'Someday', has a glorious frantic drive to it. 'Find A Way Out' is built round a beautiful riff that embeds itself in your head the same way 'Tuppenny Nudger' did a couple of years back, and 'This Time Around' displays a touch of Bends-era Radiohead, while we manage to shrug off the sensory fatigue from the endless assault for a bit more Kyuss style battering to close.

Headliners are everyone's favourite rapscallions A Plastic Rose. However, don't let the cheeky nature of the lads fool you, for lurking in there is a cunning plan, I mean a cunning musical sensibility. Arguably what they do best is the big, epic, but not overblown stadium music, presumably this is what attracted the attention of fan Gary Lightbody, and 'Flicker', 'Sun's a Shadow', and 'Making All The Noise' are built for the big outdoor stages while still working in these enclosed confines. ΜύYet, there is a musicality, a sensibility to all this, as they lose themselves in the songs, which have a crafted American quality to them in their layering. However, they retain their sense of humour, dedicating 'The Kids Don't Behave Like This' to the late Jacko. "And Farah too".

William Johnston

Pic: Graham Smith