The Von Bondies, Blank Canvas, Leeds

You have to wonder just how many of the people here have actually heard a Von Bondies album from start to finish. It’s not too far fetched to imagine more than a couple are attending on the strength of a couple of MTV happy videos and a photo of a beat up face. If that is the case, it kind of shows.

Don’t get us wrong, tonight The Von Bondies are on top form, but when an audience doesn’t know the songs it can take huge ignorant chunks out of the atmosphere of a venue so large. It’s not until tracks like ‘C’mon C’mon’ and ‘It Came From Japan’ that things really kick off, but once they do there’s no going back. When Carrie and Marcie join Jason on vocals everything magically slips into place, those White Stripes comparisons disapear, and all is good in the world. ‘Broken Man’ is the kind of bluesy thrash that kids in fleabitten jackets and bootcut jeans dream of, while ‘No Sugar Mama’ shows just what this band are capable of at their best.

It’s a shame that the Von Bondies seem to have got attention on the back of a bar room brawl, but the situation is nothing if not deceptive. They more than have the material, energy and presence to be huge all on their own.