The Kills, SCUM, Brown Brogues @ Anson Rooms, Bristol

If The Kills' fourth LP Blood Pressures shows anything, it's that the band have got their fanbase glued to their sound - and with a garage rock sound that's avoided having to bend to any fads since its birth in 2000, the sheer crowds appear to represent an ongoing loyalty to this apparently timeless duo.

The crowd in Bristol tonight are warmed up by the Brown Brogues; think The White Stripes with a touch of Captain Beefheart Frontman Mark Alan has his Jagger-esque hip movements down to a tee, but he seems to be missing the courage to sing directly into a mic before coating his voice in reverb. If he could get around that, his band might start having the same crossover appeal as tonight's headliners.

Later, Bauhaus inspired, gothic alt-rockers S.C.U.M have lost some of their earlier droning and gone a bit Gary Numan - which is no bad thing. Their lighting design tactic of keeping the band in silouhette for the whole thirty minutes makes things a bit hard to focus on - literally - but the noise is impressive and the '80s beats suggest there's more to them than the 'Horrors copycats' tag might suggest.

Things heat up as soon as The Kills take to the stage. Opening with a brutal version of 'No Wow' the band offer a rare chance for loyal fans to indulge their knowlege of the back catalogue - for most of tonight consists of tracks from the new album.

Live the sound is far more raw, gritty and dirty than on record. The garage guitar licks from Jamie Hince chug and squeal like an animal possesed, while the ever-present drum machine crackles and booms – any other band would have hired a drummer by now, yet you get the sense it would never quite work with The Kills, not least with Alison Mosshart at the helm, her stage presence spewed from within. Together, they're a golden combination.