If the freaks come out at night, then a Horrors gig falling on Friday the 13th, like this one, equates to an occasion such as Halloween. The vibe in the packed Coronet theatre is electric and a great sense of expectancy, energy and excitement is tangible. The crowd sporting tight black jeans, big hair and eye liner is testament to the effortless influence our favourite five piece band exerts. They are here not to be cured of pathologies, but to be instilled by it, facilitated by the Horrors.

The moment the stage goes dark and the strobe lights are switched on the crowd goes ballistic. It is clear that the Horrors mean business as they launch into ‘Count in Fives’. Faris sounds and moves like he is possessed by the devil and it rubs off on the crowd who are all under his spell. The rest of the band is like a showcase of A-list neurotics and it's pulled off with style and attitude.

The amalgamation of all these factors translates perfectly into the music and each song they play comes alive. The intro to ‘Draw Japan’ sends shivers down the spine while Faris stands on stage with an old radio in his hands, tuning frantically. The performance is played with endless panache, so much so that Faris, caught up in a moment of storming around stage during ‘Gloves’, finds a broom beside a stack of speakers and wildy starts sweeping the floor. As if this wasn't enough they play ‘Sheena is a Parasite’ next, and the organ crashing chorus brings the house down. Each song they thrash out is like a thunder bolt, whether it’s a down tempo ‘Jack the Ripper’ or the galvanizing ‘Excellent Choice’. Neurosis is well and alive.

With a performance like tonight you just didn't know what was waiting around the next corner. One couldn't help but be kept engaged and visually and aurally the gig was near perfect. Even though it is a well known fact that the Horrors don't do encores, the crowd remains for several minutes after the last song, gagging for more. The stage lights up and boos erupt. That is the secret to a Horrors gig – the senses are flooded, yet a foul taste remains in the mouth. It goes to show you can never have enough of a good thing.

(5/5)