Sunday 25/07/10 Tunng @ The Cockpit, Leeds

It's testament to the enduring staying powers of a maturing band that haven't lost the great songwriting prowess of Sam Genders that Tunng are wrapping up some of their most gleeful, kicking-the ass-of-a-mule gigs and gathering the coterie of faithful into their bosum.  Their fourth release this year '...And Then We Saw Land' took some gentle toasting to canoodle up to, but the translation for stage packs all the oomph of a bierkeller in full swing. The tour with Tinariwen and the production values of Mike Lindsay are clearly rubbing off and heading Tunng into directions marked 'happening'.

Tunng are a tossed salad of Bert Jansch, Bonzo Dog and the Doo-Dah Band and The Wicker Man soundtrack. Opening with the 'Epic Folk Disco Brass Magnificent' leanings of 'Don't Look Back Or Down', it's a rousing piece of tavern friendly future-folk with guitar wig-outs, and the evidence of percussive beats and sections runs a thread through the eve - singing bowls ring, sea shells flutter and chimes do their chimey thing as drums scatter beat and hold a staccato groove. 'Take' from 'Good Arrows' comes altogether punchier as the three part harmonies have it - and Becky Jacobs shows it's no male only band on the charming 'It Breaks' and the naive melody of 'The Roadside' (ghosts of The Human League hovering).

'Tale From Black' is introduced as the dark one despite John Peel's Festive 50 approval of yore, the glitch-beats are upped to meaty levels and pack staccato hooks, while 'Santiago' is all moderne-nostalgic-folk with nursery charm. 'With Whiskey' confirms that song, rhythm and delivery are in Gordon Banks safe hands - a warm blanket of a song, measured, and purposeful, while 'October' marries harmonies musical and vocal as 4X4 beats and loops conspire.

'By Dusk They Were In The City' allows the inner-clown out - Mike Lindsay does his Van Halen best replete with superstar mini-Elton glasses and prog-metal wig-outs that make for an electric kinetic stomper, melodica and chord progressions adding to the boost, while 'Hustle' allows for jiggey pokery from Mr Lindsay kicking out to bundles of banjo and auld-time shuffle. 'Bullets' may be their finest though - oompah and more "na na na na nah's" than 'Bad Mannners' ever mustered. An encore with the trad-leaning acappella with 3 part harmonies of 'These Winds' and 'Woodcat' tie up loose ends and there's a homage concurrent to Sam G in the spectacular verse: “I look for a man to turn me into a hare.”

Get loyal! Leave your Mumford & Spouses, your Noah & the Cetaceans, Tunng have more woof than Jack's Russell. There's pop and pretenders, then there's innovative bands like Tunng who are able to re-invent the envelope and push it through your disc drive.