Breaking up is hard so what do you do?  Go on the rebound.  Six months on and you're still not over it?  Get a new look.  Cue the sight of a clean-cut looking Dick Valentine with cropped hair strolling onto the stage.  The loss of the frizzy hair usually combed back that oozes of sleaze is now an empty void. 

Valentine's smart and sophisticated appearance doesn't go hand in hand with Electric Six's shenanigans of dirty disco rock.  The rest of the band still look like they're stuck in an 80s time-warp - synthesiser Tait Nucleus merging into Sideshow Bob and guitarist Johnny Na$hinal just scary to look at with the over-sized shades and over-grown barnet. 

Prior to the Six's invasion, two support acts share tonight's bill.  Leeds' Kid Symphony and Denmark's Junior Senior.  While the latter fit perfectly into the Six's ethos of eccentricity, newcomers Kid Symphony look slightly out of place with their melodic guitar pop.  Not many support acts are worth hanging around for so it's worth applauding the dukes of Detroit for hand-picking a band who can entertain rather than revolt a crowd.  They do have nice hair-cuts, though and possibly influenced Valentine to get his restyled too.

Junior Senior, on the other hand, are stupendously superb.  The Danish duo are quirky and amusing, with the little 'un belting his lungs out and twanging his guitar for 'Move Your Feet' and 'Rhythm Bandits'.  New single 'Shake Your Coconuts' is thrown in too, with Senior (the larger one with the 'tache) encouraging the ladies to um, shake theirs.  Plenty are hoping he doesn't do the same.  I'm sure they do another song that mentions shaking something.  

For Electric Six, this winter tour is significant - it features the new line-up after three of the original members left the band six months ago.  And the old Dick Valentine, come to think of it.  This one doesn't do any press-ups, nor does he walk up to the front and perv at the ladies.  It would seem those who dressed up as naughty school girls had wasted their time then.

The set-list is generous - opening with 'Naked Pictures (Of Your Mother)', they unleash the fantastic 'Electric Demons In Love', 'Nuclear War (On The Dance Floor)' and 'She's White' in the first 15 minutes.  B-sides 'Computer', 'Remote Control (Me)' and 'Take Off Your Clothes' are added too, while 'Improper Dancing' results in a couple of blokes in front of me dancing like their dads before sharing a very strong spliff amongst themselves. 

'Danger! High Voltage' worms its way half way through the night, lacking that extra bite from the absent saxophonist.  They really ought to get someone to do the other vocals - it sounds half-hearted with just Dick singing to himself.

The weaker album tracks 'Synthesizer' and 'I Invented The Night' are just lazy fillers and quite frankly, could have been left out while 'Dance Commander' is a deflated effort, not coming anywhere close to how it sounds pre-recorded on Fire.  We're reliably informed Electric Six have been touring for 14 months - perhaps a hint Valentine has had enough.

He barely talks to the crowd, with just a short remark about Gwyneth Paltrow allegedly getting married and telling us the drummer is called 'M'.  Yeah, we know.  (Actually, it's Corey Martin.)  Is he a nervous orator or has 27 dates in the US and the prospect of eight more UK dates to go, frazzled his mind?

Pissed and/or stoned off their heads, most of the crowd don't notice, only waiting for 'Gay Bar' to seal the encore.  Valentine and his cohorts are exciting to think about and on CD, are sensational.  If only that could be emulated into their live shows - ten fold.  Then - and only then - could they turn the heat up.
(3½/5) 

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Photos: Afsheen Shaikh