Gig played on 25/08/06

From that name to their brand of ADD punk pop, You Say Party! We Say Die! are a love them or hate them band and for every person who leaves tonight's sweatily intimate gig with thoughts of the B-52s in their early prime, there are a few more probably shuddering at the memory of Bis.

What isn't up for debate is whether the Canadian five-piece offer value for money. Tonight's set may be on the short side, but the band manage to squeeze a dizzying amount of hooks and energy in. If first album "Hit The Floor" often sounded a little wearying and brittle, the songs seem much fuller and more formidable in a live context, with the jerky keyboards bolstered by pummelling guitars and ferocious drumming.

But though You Say Party! enjoy the camaraderie of a gang, constantly grinning and giving each other knowing looks, singer Becky Ninvonic is the undoubted star of the show. Flinging herself around the tiny 100 Club stage like a rag doll to the Roxy Music romp of "Midnight Snack", she resembles a Karen O without the hipster inhibitions and is never less than watchable. Sadly, she is occasionally less than listenable, her high-pitched vocals sometimes missing the notes they were presumably aiming for.

This wouldn't pose such a problem if there was a little more depth to the songwriting, but like their Canadian compatriots Hot Hot Heat, You Say Party! are young dogs who need to learn some new tricks. Nearly every song rattles along at the same manic pace, with the rare exception of hushed, soothing closer "Don't Wait Up" - and even that revs itself into a frenzy by the end.

But these are minor quibbles, and for the most part You Say Party! We Say Die! are a blast, their enthusiasm easily compensating for their limitations. "He! She! You! Me! They! We! Us! Ok!" is a musical sugar rush with some quite brilliant vocal interplay, while the bass-heavy "The Gap" somehow manages to make yelping the title over and over again seem utterly riveting.

You Say Party! We Say Die! ever grow out of the cultish, left-field fame they seem destined for? Probably not, but they make you want to dance for fifty minutes and that is rare enough.

by Jaime Gill