The venue was no doubt too small for this larger than life group, who crammed onto the stage for their sold-out album launch.

Twenty or 30 people queued outside for tickets, but were disappointed.

The force alone of eight brass instruments in that small studio bar got an instant reaction from the crowd.

But the band didn’t just rely on volume: their originals from the album were rhythmically infectious while leaving plenty of room for solos and musical showmanship.

Some well chosen covers, Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing and Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield, came out refreshing in brass-band style.

The two vocalists, although completely different, worked well together, and acted as confident entertainers.

All the band played hard and played well: everything they gave the audience returned with interest.

For an entertaining live show, it’s hard to argue with a huge brass band.

As a bonus Neon Saints also happened to have a sharp sense of how to construct a hypnotic live show.

The many excellent musicians up on stage made the album launch a big success.

Four stars