We Are Scientists @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

“What?”
“I LOVE YOU KEITH!”
“You don’t love me; you just love my doggy style.”

These were not the words of Artrocker (although we do have a bit of a magazine crush on Mr Murray), but those of Keith Murray and an overly excitable fan in the front row of Sunday’s Shepherd’s Bush show.

It’s the sort of reaction you’d expect if you were seeing that walking haircut whose surname sounds like ‘beaver’, but from a checked shirt-wearing indie crowd watching We Are Scientists? Are you sure?

Astonishingly, yes, but WAS are one of the few bands that blur this line and emerge with any credibility. Their fans genuinely love them – some perhaps a little too much – and this adoration (the odd heckle, too) is taken in stride and acknowledged, ensuring that the show’s momentum never dips. It’s a useful weapon to have in your arsenal, especially when dipping into the slower, mid-set territory of ‘Pittsburgh’ and ‘Textbook’.

We were slightly critical of their last album, Barbara, because after such anticipation it ended up feeling more filler than killer. But as this show proved, drop the trio on a stage and everything – even the Barbara misfits - seems to make sense. ‘Jack and Ginger’, for example, rests nicely next to ‘Cash Cow’ and ‘The Great Escape’ and sounds all the better for it.

Stifled in the studio, but top of the class live – that’s the WAS way. With every performance being part comedy show/part greatest hits set, this band is utterly peerless and ought to be a mandatory tick on everyone’s ‘Bands I’ve Seen Live’ card.