Are Hefner influenced by Pulp?  Discuss.  Thought I'd get it out the way and say it.  The nod towards Jarvis Cocker's style of songwriting is unavoidable, but after tonight's performance by Darren Hayman and his band, I'm forced into reconsidering my loyalties.  Just as Pulp are becoming slow and cumbersome musically, and lyrically darker as Jarvis ages gracefully, Hefner come along to take up the reins and remind us all just how good Pulp could be if they hadn't have tried to fix what wasn't broken.

Hefner are what you could consider to be a "lo-fi" band: on record they sound under-produced and fallible, which leads one to assume they'll sound patchy at best live.  John Peel has often championed this band live, and he has a tendency to be right about these things, so I could be wrong.  I am.

The beginning of the set doesn't bode well, however.  Darren says hello, then informs us that he has a sore throat.  "On the stage with me", he says, "I have cough mixture, tea and whisky. All I need is some paracetamol and I'll have a well balanced diet".  Darren's voice isn't amazing on record - kind of frail, nasal, and sometimes reminiscent of Kemit the Frog.  What's surprising is that although you expect it to sound worse live, it's just the same! The band plays with energy and bucket loads of enthusiasm, leaving me feeling unnervingly happy, and exiting the venue with (shock, horror) a smile on my face.

What has to be stressed is how damn funny Darren is.  There may be a small turn out (some 150-200 fans), but he makes us all feel welcome by talking to us in between songs, and coming out with some amusing wisecracks - such as stopping us calling for "more" when we all know that they'll be back on for an encore within minutes.

They play a selection of tracks from the new album 'Dead Media' (but not the recent single 'Alan Bean', mind you) and last year's wonderful 'We Love The City' LP, putting in a good hour and a half's worth of music.  I always like to be impressed by a band that I'm only reasonably fond of, but I'll certainly see Hefner again if I get the chance.  So should Pulp, to remind themselves how easy it can be to write amusing, topical and vibrant guitar based pop songs.

Review: Andrew Morrison