Thursday 12/05/05, The Fat Cats @ The Garage, London

Thunderous psychobilly ska-punk-funk at it's most entertaining hits London's Garage in the explosive shape of Stoke On Trent fivesome The Fat Cats, and where the bollocks have they been all our lives? Well, Stoke On Trent presumably. But you know. It was one of those rhetorical question thingys. Well, you've got five hugely gifted instrumentalists on your hands here, fusing heart-tweaking melodies as warbled by the baby-faced, piano-bashing frontman, headbanging rock shapes and smoke-billowing visual splendour helped along by a wild-eyed double-bass clouting maniac and a darkly charismatic sax tooter (stand aside, Zuton lady - it all sounds a tad basic in comparison to this lurching, twinkly-eyed virtuoso), all laced with a torrent of all round ska-punk cuteness.

There's a bit of The Blockheads in there (the sax, the piano, the bonkers-ness,) a bit of Madness (erm...the sax, the piano, the bonkers-ness) and a great bottomless bucket-load of their own unique-ness. Not to mention bonkers-ness. 'I'm So Sad' and the boogaloo inspired 'Sticky Fingers' sound like their strongest tracks so far, but it's tricky to pick any as they are all winners. Far be it for Gigwise to dictate or be opinionated (ahem), you are commanded to hunt down this band's eponymous album and play it until your iPod bleeds.

Anyway, you need this band in your life. They are completely uplifting and put on a flawless show which balances glossy perfection with an energy that picks you up by the throat and jiggles you until you throw up. (This is all high praise by the way.) And don't be put off if it all sounds a bit raucous and explosive, these blokes aren't afraid of a ballad, oh dearie me no! Go and see what you make of them yourselves. (Honestly, you'd think we have to do EVERYTHING around here. I am not your slave!) Chances are you'll want to take them home with you and force them to play I'm So Sad over and over again..