The Cooper Temple Clause, Newcastle University

NME’s journalist spends the duration of this gig sat in the seated area no doubt assessing the musicianship of tonight’s performance and slipping in a few remarks about Didz’ hair. Meanwhile us here at DIY are down front doused in blood sweat and (someone else’s) lager more concerned about having our balls rocked off. But enough ‘we’re more rock n roll than NME’ nonsense, as you obviously couldn’t care less, and to be honest neither do we, seeing as though there were also some bands playing tonight, some rather good ones too.

Medium 21, usual purveyors of slightly-more-interesting-than-Coldplay indie, even manage to rise above their oh so average ‘Killings From The Dial’ album. And with a drummer no longer looking like a sex offender from the West Country, having shaved off his beard, everyone’s a winner!

They duly launch into ‘Acting Like A Mirror’. As they embark on approximately their 39th support tour this year, it seems they’re getting the hang of this winning over someone else’s crowd lark.

By the time The Cooper Temple Clause stroll onto the stage the place is packed out. There hasn’t been this many mullets in one place since the German World Cup squad met up for Italia ‘90. In fact it’s part gig, part David Hasselhoff convention down the front.

Absence, in the case of The Coopers’ obsessive fanbase, makes the heart grow stronger. Having been locked up recording the (absurdly titled if the rumours are to be believed) new record for the past few months, The Coopers themselves are just as delighted to blast into opening electronic rock stormer ‘A.I.M’.

The new tunes previewed tonight show the band are still pushing the pedal to the metal in rock out terms, whilst making the type of mad bleeping noises Kitt (the Knightrider car) would make at an pro-war demonstration.

Forthcoming single ‘Promises Promises’ is a sweep along chorused beast in the same vein as ‘Film Maker’, whilst ‘Blind Pilots’ floats around the venue sounding like the first ever attempt to bring the music from the underwater level of Sonic the Hedgehog to the mainstream.

If the new stuff intrigues and refreshes the audience as to how great TCTC are, it’s the old stuff that truly sends them into a sporadic orgasm. ‘Did You Miss Me?’ still sends shivers up your spine - brilliant sounding as it was when you first heard it open up ‘See This Through And Leave’. ‘Lets Kill Music’ and the closing ‘Who Needs Enemies’ are not just crowd favourites but ferociously epic shag you in the ears. Fantastic.