Max Raptor

As a fellow audience member speculates, "you know it’s about to go down when the boy with dreadlocks takes his beanie hat off." The fan in question is part of a pilgrimage from the southerly realms of Tyneside, vocalist Wil Ray later informs us. Max Raptor do have the prowess to compel these pious followers to cross borders, yet tonight’s turn-out is surprisingly sparse. Having toured alongside legends The Stranglers earlier in the year, this is undoubtedly one of the Brit-rock band’s smaller gigs of late – an injustice they don’t seem overly disgruntled by, given that tonight they play like the room is packed.

Clambering onto the stage in a rather circumspect manner, it’s difficult not to be cautious about what to expect. After a quotidian start to the evening, Max Raptor explode into a frenzied rendition of 'The Alarm' that resonates far beyond their current locale. It’s a truly exhilarating performance, saturated with a ferocity that would probably be intimidating if they weren’t so likeable. Metronomically synchronised, they hammer out rhythms of exceptional precision that could easily be mistaken for pre-recorded tracks, whilst their energy is encapsulated in intense, sweat-drenched expressions and manic bounding about the stage.

Tonight’s pinnacle emerges mid-performance, with the antiphonal 'Sparks' and 'Conversations with Death'. The latter has a distinct Billy Talent-ish air, though it proves far less abrasive on the eardrums. By this point, the crowd has switched from toe-tap to a far more assenting head-bob that deepens incrementally until the end of their set. Max Raptor may fall into the cavernous pit of catchy mainstream rock but something that sets this band apart is their ability to deliver a remarkably refined live performance - a truly entertaining, slightly maniacal spectacle to behold.