Tuesday 26/02/08 Reverend And The Makers @ The Roundhouse, London

It’s a match made in Cilla Black-heaven: the anthemic, cacophonous sound and fervent politics of Reverend and the Makers, and the arty supersonics offered by Camden’s Roundhouse.  With thousands of pairs of eyes on them, Sheffield’s second-finest seem immediately at home as they take the stage above the Roundhouse’s pit – a sort of rock’n’roll Globe theatre with extra ramparts and a roof.

Fronted by the effervescent Jon McClure – famously once in a band with lead Arctic Monkey Alex Turner – the seven-piece’s star is steadily rising, and tonight it shows. The normally-dignified Roundhouse is rammed, raucous and rather expectant – if the Makers are to make it, they need to make this, among their biggest shows to date, a good’un.

The set begins in darkness, with a slow, orchestral intro, helmed around Ed Cosens’ bass and Tom Jarvis’ pulsing electric guitar.  With tenterhooks at breaking point, the lights come up and McClure launches into a version of ‘Ryan’.  Rapturous applause follows and then swiftly comes the next effort, a similarly fast-paced number laced by some solo warbling by keyboarding Laura Manuel.

The stage arrangement is by now established. Surrounded by an semi-circle of musicians – including the gorgeous Manuel provocatively gyrating her hips, and a never-still Jarvis – McClure postures, jabs fingers, jogs on the spot, claps and sings without seeming to break sweat. He is the conductor of the choir, evidenced as he encourages the mosh pit during third effort ‘Bandits’, a particularly chirpy tune about fruit machines and frustrated wives.