Tuesday 10/12/02 Purpel Gekko, Alta May, The Apes @ The Masque Theatre, Liverpool

Opening the show supporting signed touring bands for the first time Purple Gekko show little in the way of nerves or apprehension. Before the set begins the Gekkos, water pistols (and rifles) in hand are spraying the front row of fans and each other in what is now becoming a trade mark entrance. The James Bond theme tune pumps out over the PA as they lurch around on stage. It's good to see a band so young has already got on to the fact that a gig is much more than just playing music.

They launch into their set firing their finely crafted disco bass lines into the audience's stomachs showing an impressive array of talent in the rhythm section as the afroed Olly pounds out the beats. Front woman Megs is clearly displaying her Gekko underwear through her Christina Aguilera style leather chaps much to the amusement of the crowd.

Although their 'Fantastic Mule' is a killer comic tune, where these guys excel is in their stupendously brilliant cover versions. This time treating us to Jacko's 'Billie Jean' and Blondie's 'Heart of Glass' being a particularly impressive display of Megs' vocal ability. With a few more self-penned barn-stormers under their belts coupled with a guitar tuner and some kind of sonar device so Olly can find the audience while he's singing these guys will be truly monstrous. Excellent stuff.

After celebrating band member Erik Roper's 33rd birthday Alta May take to the stage inspired by the Gekko's youthful performance, dedicating a song to the youngsters. The band play quality heavy rock that has Seattle, their hometown stamped all over their sound.

Even with a full century between the three piece their performance doesn't show it. Vocal duties are shared between the trio complementing the cascading wall of dirty great **** off guitars. It's cool to know that you're in the room with some of Kurt Cobain's Seattle contemporaries and up this close it's even cooler.

Alta May know how to knock out a good tune because despite their heavy sound they still keep their noise listenable and the audience lap up their impressive performance.

But The Apes, The Apes are why we're here at this Gigwise promoted show. After touring the country earlier in the year with the more interesting half of At The Drive-In in their new form of Mars Volta, The Apes are ready to carve out a niche for themselves as headliners. And don't they ****ing deserve it?

These guys put the P in performance with a capital R for rock 'n' roll. Watching the band without frontman Paul Weil would more than suffice, big dirty organs grind out the psychedelic Doorsy riffs while the back section pounds the Christ out of their planks and skins. Bassman Erick moves around in his boilersuit of rock like a redneck with his ass on fire, while organ-iser Amanda shakes her head around like a ****in' loony.

But it's the frontman that is the main draw here. Like some hybrid Iggy Pop and Jim Morrison (thanks mikebueller) freak he runs round the stage and the floor like an insane rabid beast. Grabbing people's collars, hugging them, screaming in their faces. He even chases some poor girl out into the bar area for having the cheek to walk away from a performance where every ounce of energy is going into it, rightly so, how anyone has got something better to do than watch these guys, I'll never know.

One minute he's up on the stacks, then crawling on the floor, goading the bouncers through the window, rubbing his cock so he can "stinky palm" audience members and generally squirming around while he wraps and unwraps himself in the microphone lead. This guy is the god of all performers. ****ing amazing stuff, quite possibly the best thing I've seen all year. Shame on you if you weren't there, twas an historic event.

Photos by Dave Evans