By Carron Stacey

WORTH A LOOK: ***

WHERE: Pyramids, Southsea

WHEN: 7/12

They didn’t drag us down

Admittedly I was just going to watch Shed Seven, but as Dragging Me Down is one of my favourite 90s songs of, well, the 90s, I was delighted to be able to catch the Insepid Crumpets, as I like to call them.

The line up seemed pretty bizarre to me, the lead singer didn’t interact with the audience at all, just Clint Boon on keyboards. A later wiki search advised me that the personnel had switched around quite a bit, and that the current singer, Stephen Holt, was indeed a pre-hits singer. It was almost as confusing as when Miss Ellie changed and changed back in Dallas!

Anyway, the band were tight and we sang along to Joe, This Is How It Feels, She Comes In The Fall, I Want You (not surprisingly sans Smith) and others. Dragging Me Down was a highlight, but I was disappointed not to hear the ‘end’ part, you know when the guitar goes all loud for the last little bit. I love song endings that are slightly different, like Bo’Rap, Mr Blue Sky, The Manics’ You Love Us. Saturn 5 made up for that.

My friend asked if they were being booed, I said no, they are being Mooed. And Moo to them. Thoroughly enjoyable.

• Inspiral Carpets tour with Shed Seven until 22/12, tickets here. Picture via Facebook courtesy Inspiral Carpets.