Funny place, the Barfly; one night, you might get the triumphant, radio-buggering heavyweights such as Razorlight and the Kooks, on another, the best (or worst) band you’ve never heard of. Either way, it is actually written in the indie rule book that every relevant band MUST play here at some point in their career, and tonight it is Assembly Now’s turn.

Kicking off with anthemic statement of intent, ‘It’s Magnetic’, the foursome’s enthusiasm is evident within seconds. It quickly becomes apparent why every music tipper worth their salt, including Steve Lamacq who is busy bobbing his head in the back, has been raving about them over the last year. It may only be their second gig in four months, but the ease with which they slip back into live mode suggests that they’ve never been away.

As they launch into ‘Caucasian Nights’, you begin to realise exactly what it is about Assembly Now that makes them so riveting live. When singer Gavin Dwight lifts his hands to the mic stand, or Lush raises his drum sticks over his head before crashing into a ‘rawk’ drum outro, somehow it doesn’t seem clichéd. It’s rare to see a band with so much raw passion these days, and even the most cynical hairs on the backs of the most sceptical necks must be cautiously rising.

The frenetic angular guitars and thumping rhythm section, together with the New Cross connections, may evoke certain comparisons. Make no mistake though; these four are not riding the well-travelled, tedious art-rock train out of SE14. Onstage, every note is vying for your attention, the two guitars duelling and blending in equal measure, the rhythm section pounding their respective instruments within an inch of their lives, and vocals that force you to take notice. It’s loud, it’s fast, it’s exciting, and it’s frequently brilliant.

Without letting the last notes from ‘Out on 24s’ fade, the band launch straight into forthcoming single ‘Leigh-on-Sea’, surely the best song ever written about Essex coastal towns. Danceable and lyrically catchy, it deserves thrust the band out of the niche and into the mainstream consciousness, “all the kids are in the bars/they don’t look up at the stars,” sings Dwight. Assembly Now are certainly looking towards the stars and beyond, don’t bet against them reaching them.

Text: Marcus Foley

Image: Louise Cattell