The Dentists & The Love Family @ Beacon Court Tavern, Gillingham, Kent

Better known for unleashing chavs on an unprepared country than being the home of Charles Dickens, the Medway Towns haven’t exactly produced much to be proud of in recent years. The music scene (with the exception of Billy Childish) isn’t exactly vibrant either. So it was with great excitement that news broke of Medway’s finest indie-pop band The Dentists getting back together after 15 years for two reunion gigs.

Last night they played Camden’s Dingwalls and tonight they’re back on home territory at Gillingham’s only live music venue, the Beacon Court.

Before the Dentists take the stage, the almost capacity crowd is treated to a fantastic set from another reunited Medway band, The Love Family. With their relentless guitars and solid drumming they rip through an energetic set, which includes the excellent ‘Ricochet’. Particularly good was the set finale, a blistering cover of Soft Cell’s ’Say Hello, 'Wave Goodbye’.

Tonight though, is about the Dentists and when they take the stage they’re met with a massive cheer from a clearly excited (and it has to be said predominantly middle-aged!) crowd. There is certainly a lot of love in the room for these guys and their splendid jangly pop songs.

Unusually split into two parts to accommodate their two drummers, they kick off with debut single ‘Strawberries Are Growing in My Garden (and Its Wintertime)’, and continue through their early tracks from debut album Some People Are on The Pitch...

A quick change and they continue through the second set with songs including ‘My Heart Is Like A Town You Moved Away From’ (they like their long titles, these boys) and the fantastic ‘Spaceman’. Finishing to rapturous applause with the spectacular ‘Snapdragon’, tonight’s gig is nothing short of a triumph and by the looks on their faces the Dentists enjoyed the gig as much as the audience.

It’s to their credit that tonight has seen the largest, liveliest crowd in this venue for a long time – I’ve never seen so many people dancing – and I hope they return again soon. This was one trip to the Dentists that won’t leave me waking up screaming in terror!