We Are Scientists

Fibbers, York, October 27

YOU simply can't miss the two cats staring out at the crowd as We Are Scientists take to the Fibbers stage - they're eight feet tall, shining brightly and one of them is smoking a cigarette. Formed in California in 2000, the band are touring the UK supporting their fifth studio album, Helter Seltzer, released earlier this year.

Chart hits from third album Brain Thrust Mastery and festival appearances at Glastonbury and Leeds have garnered the group a decent following and it's encouraging to see a lively Fibbers audience.

Vocal duties are shared between bassist Chris Cain and guitarist Keith Murray - the latter being the more energetic as the song Textbook takes him from the stage, into the enthusiastic crowd and back to the bar.

They're a relaxed, polished outfit and responding to a chant of "U-S-A", Chris remarks that although it probably greets every North American band (including those from Mexico and Canada), no gig is really complete without it.

Their 90-minute set speeds along with singalong songs including Nice Guys, The Great Escape and I Don't Bite from earlier albums mixed in with newer material keeping the dancing crowd entertained throughout.

The trio conclude with a three-song encore which includes the crowd-pleasing After Hours - their UK Top 20 hit from 2008 - and concludes with Too Late, which for this band, it clearly isn't.

We Are Scientists also play Holmfirth on October 29 and Leeds on December 16.

Dave Robertson