Wednesday 02/02/05 Thee Unstrung, Young Offenders Institute, Linear @ Bar Academy, Birmingham

Linear open proceedings with a ballsy, distortion ladled instrumental, followed by a brand of hook laden art-punk that replicates rather closely some popular Scottish chaps with the initials FF.  The ‘Take Me Out’ key change is included at least several times, and ‘It Went to Pieces’ unwittingly segues into an effortless ‘Michael’.  Yet their unoriginality is tempered by a set full of tight, well-delivered offerings performed with a passion in contrast to the disinterested audience barely looking away from their pints. If they can be slightly more subtle when expressing their influences, definitely ones to watch.

Main support act Young Offenders Institute are quite frankly appalling. Unless that is, your musical taste involves listening to Mancunian scallies rapping and screeching over Oasis tribute band style riffs, with sublime lyrics such as “My giro, my giro,/ I’ve got my jiggy-giro.” Highlight of the set has to be ‘Let Me Out’, surely the anthem for those incarcerated worldwide. Its chorus of “Just give me the ****ing key” is particularly inspirational. They are a disgrace to those Mancunians who’ve made timeless music inspired by council estates, drugs and the dole without  imploring to “skin up”’ every 30 seconds.  Boring, thoughtless shite.

Thee Unstrung rip into their set with the gusto of men who have indeed been helping themselves to vodka from behind the bar. Certainly not lacking in confidence (or inebriation), their raucous, hard-edged pop is at times exhilarating. Singer Steve Holbrook and fellow vocalist Ben Bailey in tandem convey the same irrepressible warmth and energy present on ‘The Libertines’ debut, although between songs their cockney banter can be rambling and tiresome. High points include ‘Love Is’, a driving, cocksure anthem in the making, and ‘Goodnight’, a short, pounding set-closer. Single ‘Contrary Mary’ is only let down by its predictable chorus, (you can guess) but that is a minor gripe. The small audience was perhaps down to the lure of the mighty Rooster next door, but the stragglers in The Academy Bar were the lucky ones. South-east London’s next guitar heroes anyone?