Tuesday 28/11/06 My Luminaries, Fleeing New York, Wallis Bird, Marner Brown @ 100 Club, London

Marner Brown kick off proceedings with their own brand of bluesy psychedelia. The nods to early Pink Floyd, The Byrds and especially Led Zeppelin may be obvious, but they manage to sound fresh and stay on the right side of the influence/plagiarism boundary. Songs such as ‘Waster’s Game’ and the brilliant ‘One Last Dance’ make a mockery of their early stage time and earmark them as definite ones to watch.

Joined by a brush drummer and bassist, Wallis Bird may seem an odd choice to follow up a blues/rock revival. Thankfully though, her band-mates are modest enough with their playing to avoid the expected jazz/folk workout. Wallis herself possesses a personality far beyond her slight frame, occasionally veering close to KT Tunstall territory, but with a much sweeter voice. There is also something very distinctive about the guitar sound and it takes Gigwise several songs to notice that her guitar is the ‘wrong’ way up. “I hurt my left hand when I was young and learnt this way, I won’t be changing now!” Fair enough…we’re suitably impressed.

Like a slightly grungier subways, but without the ‘oh so cute’ boyfriend/girlfriend/brother angle, and a bass player that can actually sing, on come Fleeing New York. They may be prone to some emo lapses that smack of self-indulgence, but the instrumental rocking out interludes are full of passion. As the set progresses, touches of grunge, blues and even dance work their way into the songs, and you realise that there is a depth to the band that is not often found in such a young three-piece.

Over the past few years, My Luminaries have been likened to The Libertines, Radiohead and Pavement, and the latest fashionable comparison seems to be Arcade Fire. However, despite drawing from these and a host of other influences, there is something genuinely unique about their performance. With identical twins Dylan and Saul sandwiching frontman James Ewers, there is something of a visual symmetry to the band, they don’t sound half bad either. Ewers is an onstage dynamo, leading the band through a series of infectious pop gems. The Arcade Fire angle is understandable on ‘The Outsider Steps Inside’, that they create such a rich, diverse sound without the various fiddlers and accordionists is to My Luminaries’ credit.

With toes a-tapping and heads a-nodding all over the 100 Club, the band deliver a performance fully justifying their recent patronage by critics and radio alike. There is a touch of the Borrell/Barat showmanship to Ewers performance, clearly relishing his time on stage, and he will tread vaster boards very soon. By the time proceedings are wrapped up with the angular yet melodic new single ‘Jumping the Great White’, it's clear that My Luminaries have won over everyone in this packed venue, new fans and old. If tonight is anything to go by, there is a very, very big future in store for this group, and very, very soon.