★★★★

As Girl Band singer Dara Kiely said from the stage at The Haunt, his group have been forced to cancel recent Brighton shows due to health issues. The Dublin four-piece more than compensated for these absences with a scintillating display of controlled disorder.

Kiely was undoubtedly the star of the show, his voice shifting from an ominous rumble to a deranged howl as his bandmates whipped up a noise-rock storm. Within Girl Band's sound can be found elements of punk, grunge and even techno as guitar, bass and drums lock in to a snarling, demented rhythm.

Opener Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage, a cover of electronic producer Blawan's track, showcased the delicate balance between tightness and chaos the band have mastered. The tension in many of their songs reached an almost unbearable climax before erupting into pandemonium or, mercifully, easing up.

As Kiely delivered the kind of frenzied barking more commonly witnessed at metal and hardcore gigs, a strobe light flickered manically. Needless to say, it made for an intense spectacle. At times it felt like the floor was pulsing.

The band's quiet/loud dynamic was also in evidence in single Pears for Lunch whose lyrics revolve around young male angst and aimlessness. "I don't know what she wants" was Kiely's anguished yelp. In Lawman, guitarist Alan Duggan's irresistible descending riff, drenched in distortion, provided the propulsive backdrop for the evening's most raucous crowd reaction.

A 10 minute new song saw Duggan achieve a guitar tone that was reminiscent of dubstep before thunderous fan favourite Paul threatened to almost literally bring the house down. A glorious racket.