Through a wall of raw sound, quite remarkably created by only two people with just a guitar and a basic drum kit, comes pure primeval energy the like of witch I for one thought was all but extinct in today’s modern rock music. For a pair of unassuming twenty something’s, when they take to the stage, an amazing transformation occurs. The cavorting rock monster that is guitarist and vocalist Teddy Hesper bounces from amp to floor to drum kit, only missing serious injury by the narrowest of margins, loosing hats and pics in the process, but still pouring out the riffs and howling like a wolf down the mic.

Drummer Eileen Spruce is a woman possessed when handed the sticks. Like the secret love child of Keith Moon and either Dave Ghrol or animal from the Muppets (I guess Ghrol would be a slightly more flattering comparison than animal, then again, wasn’t he based on Moon anyway?!) the fact she was pleased at only smashing one cymbal should give you an idea of the sheer force she thrashes at the kit, the sticks flying over the top on several occasions. The primal vigour of The Pixies at their peek or the Who at the beginning of the 70’s Le Chat Noir give you just a glimpse of what those bands must have been like to experience live, 'cos their made of the same kinda stuff – with the riffs and rhythms to back it up.

There’s something about seeing Le Chat Noir live, you just get that feeling deep down that your watching a band that really have something special, and you might just be there at the birth of true greatness. The stories you hear about small venue early gigs of seminal bands, like The Brian Jonestwon Massacre starting fights at the viper rooms or Sex Pistols at Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall, The Beatles at The Cavern etc. - where hardly anyone was there but all of them went on to form bands after being inspired by what they saw. Maybe that’s what the feeling is, pure inspiration, a band totally in love with what there doing, lost in the moment – doing it for all the right reasons and doing it bloody well! You can’t learn the kind of connection this double act have on stage, and the natural aptitude for their instruments. You just know that, and it’s only a matter of time before they do, when this band start playing for big, big crowds they could start a fucking riot!

In the presence of a somewhat dismal crowd who, for the most part, clearly didn’t know a great band when they saw one. Flying effortlessly through their set list, executed like a band that had been doing it for more like 8 years never mind 8 months!! A mix of live classics from debut album ‘Tales From Silver City’ and some delicious tastes of forthcoming second album ‘Deadwood’, namely the excellent ‘Wedding Dress’ with it’s fabulously fat, riff to die for and almost Metallica-esque chorus. Ending with hit record in waiting ‘Is Ignorance A Sin’ for this moment thought it’s given a much harder finish with plenty of gritty rough edges.

As soon as you put aside those White Stripes misconceptions – and you will as soon as they strike the first note, the first scream and first thunder of kick and snare, you realise your about to witness something explosive - and I for one feel privileged to now be able to say “I was there at the beginning”.

By Martin Kendrick