Tuesday 30/05/06 Blackbud, Tiny Dancers @ 100 Club, London

Eschewing singer/songwriter Vijay Kishore’s set in favour of England’s dismal first-half performance against Hungary, Gigwise arrives at a half-full 100 Club in good time to catch Tiny Dancers schizophrenic lesson in musical history. We get it all pop-pickers, a Fender group trying to create a Rickenbacker sound tipping their musical hats to everyone from the Byrds to Mungo Jerry and from Procal Harum to The Proclaimers. With stage props stolen from the Play Away studio and a sartorially challenged line in headgear, they deliver a “Hey!, we’re wacky” set ranging from Radiohead at their most dirge-like to some refreshingly eccentric blues-driven tub-thumpers.

Headliners Blackbud on the other hand, turn the clock back to an era when Clapton was still God and guys wore waistcoats and jeans. Delivering eight slices of authentic blues-rock which, for the most part, veers off in all the right directions, this embarrassingly good-looking trio miss nary a beat as they perform with the telepathic tightness that comes from having the best part of 300 gigs under your belt.

Opening with the MTV-friendly ‘Heartbeat’ showcasing front-man Joe Taylor’s soaring vocals, the band delight a female dominated mosh-pit which gets its, er, rocks off to some old favourites (‘Steal Away’ - Gigwise’s stand-out track), tasters from the forthcoming album (‘From the Sky’ out in July) and some second album ahoy crowd pleasers (‘Left Your Arms Empty’). Although occasionally lacking a depth to their sound particularly during their quieter moments (the curse of many threesomes), when these guys rock, the bass/drum combo of Sam Nadel and Adam Newton produce a flawless backdrop to Taylor’s grimacing expression as he comes out with guitar breaks that would have given Jimmy Page a run for his money.

With an 11 o’clock curfew limiting them to a single encore, Blackbud exit stage right leaving a trail of broken hearts in their wake and secure in the knowledge that they are one of this summers festival season contenders.