Wantage’s Cargo Cult are a real find. Young, confident and relaxed, they look like they’ve been playing together for years. They’re fronted by a charming singer who dances like she’s underwater and backed by two guitarists, a drummer and a backing unit. They don’t fit any particular niche, playing long pieces that are more like jams than songs, each full of powerful, unusual guitar work that brings to mind Led Zeppelin meeting Wire, if not quite as magnificent as that might suggest. The singer wanders into the audience to fish her mates out of their seats and before long the place looks like a 60s happening, or a Robert Crumb cartoon, with kids freaking out all over the place. Strange but beautiful.

Rather more established locally, Chamfer are back after a seven month break with a new line-up but only one new song - something singer Nick is probably unwise to let on about. They play upbeat pop full of fancy chord changes and harmonies but they seem to be trying too hard. There’s an eastern influence courtesy of the tabla and bass but the result is sadly more Kula Shaker than Cornershop - another case of talented individuals not quite gelling together well enough. They do have the best line of the night, though, with “Shake your hair, shake it all around, yeah / You gotta know who you are”.

There’s a predictable air of anticipation as Narco arrive. While they’re certainly not the new Clash, the energy level is reminiscent of The Buzzcocks. Despite their rejection of the dance-rock crossover tag there is a lolloping Happy Mondays feel that, interestingly, all three bands tonight display. Much of their recorded subtlety is lost in a rough-and-ready mix, but the insistent bass, inventive drumming and powerful vocals carry them through regardless. New single, ‘Blackmailer’, sounds like the bastard offspring of Depeche Mode and Supergrass but every song is a chart contender, particularly the token slow song, driven by its haunting bass motif. The Thomas Dolby-esque keyboards occasionally get in the way and they were possibly better at Charlbury Festival as a three-piece but they still ooze class from every pore. A cynic might suggest that they stand out so much simply due to the dearth of great new guitar bands around but I’d point them in Cargo Cult’s direction. While talk of Narco’s imminent stardom may be premature it would still be richly deserved.

Art Lagun