“Are you still with us?” was probably the most rhetorical question Glasgow heard on Saturday night; Tokyo Police Club front man Dave Monk asking a fervent King Tuts midway through their first Scottish set in over two years.

It was a typically heaving night at the infamous venue but a lack of local openers left touring support, Manchester’s current alternative radio darlings, Dutch Uncles, to get things rolling with their jerky but conventional indie-pop delivered in a shuffling, XTC flavored unconventional manner.

A supporting performance truly wrapped in their music, ticking through releases – breakthrough ‘Steadycam’, EP lead ‘The Ink’ and new 7” ‘Fragrant’ – and without a consciously cool polo shirt or a jaunty fringe  amongst them to peep through, the band powered through a set without making undue fuss.

The only swirling distraction from the musicality came from singer Duncan Wallis, singing within a comfortably strained pitch and dancing with the microphone like he was balancing a slinky in between his palms. An outfit that have been simmering politely in the background for long enough.

TPC’s trajectory went from frying pan into the international fire in 2007, but opening with the first track off new LP, ‘Champ’, intentions seemed clear on material would be the focufrom what body of work the gig would focus on.

But without skipping a beat the band blasted their 2006 career launching ‘Nature Of The Experiment’ out of the water early doors, B-side ‘Box’ followed and debut LP’s ‘Graves’ soon after, plastering an even spread of material out of the traps.

Even with the time spent away from King Tuts since their last release, the dedication and hunger for the band sieved through the barrier thickly enough to justify a monthly residency – although the taught four piece seemed pointedly reserved regardless.

Hardly a verse was passed were Monks lyrics weren’t met with fists pumped and fingers reaching for the clammy ceiling, especially the half dozen songs released from the new album a mere half dozen months ago.

With the new LP broken down visually – seeing the stems of the record strewn out exposed the over reliance the foundations of the band sound has on the gristly bass, with guitarist Josh Hook frequently busying himself instead with a tambourine, before being called to spark up his guitar.

When he did however, the riffing was on a precipice of franticness – billowing from back and forward in a bid to make up for the inactivity before returning to a modicum of glorified rhythm guitaring for the majority of the set.

Leanness had a lot to answer for on the new record, the band striving for swaying epicness on ‘End Of A Spark’ to the knee-bowing dance rock grind of ‘Bambi’ sandwiching

The band’s ability playful toying with the crowd was as much down to their keenness to interact as the uniqueness behind elements of their material, with one chord keyboard presses triggering and teasing instinctive reactions from the other side of the barrier.

A endemic encore wrapped up the twenty song gauntlet with the opening track from the debut EP,  of a band who have finally settled their musical form to match their early promise, but have clearly always had the fan base to match.

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