主播大秀

It may be cold outside, but in here it's rammed and hellishly hot - apt as we're awaiting the arrival of the self-proclaimed "satanic Everly Brothers". Their arrival is delayed - perhaps they are delayed slaughtering small children, or maybe age is catching up and it's taking longer to climb the stairway from Hades (note: raise issue of installing escalator from Hell at next team meeting). That the place is rammed, is perhaps surprising for a band on their first album, without a high-profile 茂驴陆ber-successful single, but we're not just here for the Gutter Twins, we're here for the back story.

At this point it's customary to list off the pedigrees of Messrs Dulli and Lanegan - to save space, go and look it up yourselves, and then come back and weep that you missed this gig, or give thanks that you were there.

Opening up with a trademark Dulli quip about being Kloot (I Am Kloot are playing next door this evening), album opener 'The Stations' and 'God's Children' showcase what this pairing is all about - an unholy alliance of two of the best voices of their generation, while one of their proper duets, 'All Misery/Flowers' is enjoyably disconcerting with the overlapping of two such distinctive vocals.

'Idle Hands' is quicker and slightly heavier than most of their work, but allows the Twins to do what they do best, as Dulli bounces around between vocals whipping up the band, while Lanegan does what he always does, and holds on for dear life, seemingly being battered by an invisible storm, unaware of anything outside the stage (he's notoriously unresponsive, so much so that the fact that he smiled in Dublin the night before is being discussed online).

Switching from guitar to keyboards, Dulli leads us in an almost southern Baptist blues version of 'Bete Noire', while 'Seven Stories Underground' is gloriously dark and gothic, and quite possibly purloined from Nick Cave when he wasn't looking. It is one of theirs though. In a little bit of change of pace, they knock out a cracking cover of old soulful number 'Hold On I'm Comin', something that's a bit of a trademark of both of the main men, as both love a cover - indeed one of their previous collaborations (The Twilight Singers) pretty much stole Massive Attack's 'Live With Me', and also take the chance to tease us with snippets of other tracks - a little bit of Lanegan's old band (the Screaming Trees's 'Shadow Of The Season') makes an appearance as they seem to confer between each other before deciding what would sound good, like a jam we're invited to. As the regular set comes to a close, Dulli takes the chance to channel his inner preacher introducing each member of the band to rapturous applause and cheers, before 'Front Street' ends the night.

And then, who knows? They sometimes do an encore, sometimes don't. They did in Dublin last night, but didn't in LA on their last U.S. date. Tonight, we're in luck, although unfortunately it's not the Frames covers that Greg promises us. Instead they raid the back catalogues, Lanegan's 'Hit The City' and 'Metaphetamine Blues' alongside 'Butterfly' and 'Blackberry' from Dulli's past. Taking their bow, Dulli declares, once again, that they are Kloot. You're not lads, you're something else.

William Johnston