“Real punks are clean cut” was the legend on the T-shirts The Wave Pictures sold at their Green Door Store show.

And although their stunning musicianship and tightness might not be readily associated with the three-chord thrash of punk their attitude to their music assuredly was.

There were no racks of guitar pedals, no fancy lighting rigs, and no rock star poses. Instead the three, lightly augmented by percussionist David Beauchamp, strode on stage when the time was right and started to play.

When the material was as strong as David Tattersall’s that was all they needed.

His ear for a catchy guitar riff was the perfect accompaniment to his highly detailed lyrics about ordinary day-to-day life and relationships.

New song, Cream Coloured And Maroon, focused solely on walking around town in his favourite shirt, whereas set closer and fan favourite Spaghetti mixed the strange simile of “wild hair tumbling from the centre of your skull like spaghetti” with the simple statement “I knew then that you’d never forget me”.

Tattersall admitted Brighton had taken the band to its heart, telling the sold-out crowd: “We don’t normally get a cheer when we say our name”.

On the strength of this performance it was easy to see why they are so loved in the city – and a mystery why they don’t get a similar reaction elsewhere.

Four stars