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Mazes appear on stage in jeans and chequered shirts which match the kind of throwback 90's indie-rock songs they play. ÌýSometimes verging on a poppier, more mainstream style reminiscent of groups of that era from their hometown of London, the band work best towards the end of the set with a few songs which recall American garage rock bands with a few twinges of Sonic Youth-inspired guitar riffs thrown in for good measure. ÌýThey're fun and have good interaction with the crowd but their bubbly, in-between-songs chat is unfortunately more memorable than their music in the run up to the headline act.

�We're Dum Dum Girls,� says singer and guitarist Dee Dee in her bubblegum Californian accent, before the band launch into opening song �He Gets Me High'. It's a short, succinct introduction to a set which encapsulates pop perfection at its best - dripping in black, red lipstick and with hard attitude and songs to match.

Following high praise for 2010's debut album �I Will Be' and taking their name from a reference to The Vaselines song �Dum Dum Boys', Dum Dum Girls would seem, at a glance, to fit in with the wave of lo-fi, post-punk revivalist bands such as the Crystal Stilts, Vivian Girls, Best Coast or Wavves. But standing in front of the imposing fa�ade of the women carefully attired in similar outfits and bobbing synchronised guitars along to the songs, it's clear that there's something much more slick and well thought out at play here.

It works wonderfully. Instead of being lazy enough to make simple, off-the-cuff reference to Robert Palmers Addicted to love video based on first impressions of the band lined up on stage, it's a tight and elegant performance. It snarls with high-energy love songs of break-ups and let-downs, while the guitars are wrapped up in a warm fuzz of the vintage equipment which is favoured by the girls.
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Dee Dee's voice rips with tugs of passion which perhaps seems more restrained on record, while live the harmonies are delivered perfectly and give the songs a light tone of sweetness - even from the drummer, who plays animatedly and breaks the choreographed row of her band mates in front of her. �Bhang Bhang I'm A Burnout' purrs and sneers all at once, while there are songs which break down into more moments encroaching on ballad but still maintain their trademark cool.

Something like this could fall flat and tie itself up in what it's trying to be rather than what it actually is - but Dum Dum Girls are polished and smart enough to have the stage presence and good songs to match. ÌýThey set themselves apart by pulling all these elements together - that lo-fi Californian aesthetic, a sharp charisma, and most importantly, an ability to play an engaging set of charming, throwaway kitchen-sink pop and deliver it in style.

Aoife McKeown