The besuited trio of geek-rockers are still a favourite of mine to this day, even if they do sit awkwardly with the zeitgeist. Sod the zeitgeist.

Date: March 31, 2009

Venue: Rescue Rooms

Resplendent in Oxfam-salvaged shirt and tie combos (blazer optional) and assuming the demeanour of fusty geography teachers, the Young Knives are surely Ashby-de-la-Zouch’s finest exponents of geek-rock. Actually, make that Britain’s finest – and only – exponents of geek-rock since Jarvis Cocker became a French recluse.

With two albums under their belts and with a clutch of new songs ready to road test, these charming eccentrics chose wisely from their canon, interjecting crowd favourites like She’s Attracted To – essentially The Fall-on-Ritalin – and the Rocket From The Crypt-meets-The Futureheads jerk-punk of Up All Night – with forthcoming tracks from their third album, the picks being the brooding Boarding Houses and Reproduction, which both hint at a darker sound despite the latter’s inclusion of bongos and a xylophone.

Their angular and choppy riffs form precise tumults, while their wit, charm and comedic natter is quintessentially English, making these knives very, very sharp indeed.