Lapsus Linguae (*****)/ Moniack (****) / Hail Caesar (****)
Cafe Royal, Edinburgh, 14th December

It may be the season of goodwill to all, but some decidedly unfestive vibes are floating around the Cafe Royale. Well, dedicating ‘I Will Cut You’ to the audience hardly seems a charitable act from Hail Caesar. But it’s said with a cheeky grin by frontman Vic Galloway, the band formerly known as Huckleberry playing a hometown gig in front of friends and family. Thus, they seem much more at ease than in their recent Glasgow outing – perhaps it’s that their swirling garage rock works much better in front of a big excitable crowd .

And it is a sizeable throng that greets Moniack, another bunch of homecoming heroes. At this, their first Edinburgh gig in over three years, band and audience connect and seem almost overjoyed to be in each other’s company. Mind you, via their 70s prog leanings (as well as hair and shirts), the 5-piece are decidedly luvved up. Sonically they’re more aggressive – a steamrolling stop-start set is punctuated by some intricate moments of guitar; think King Crimson being bludgeoned by Motorhead.

Lapsus Linguae also have quiet contemplative passages in a multi-vehicle pile-up of a set – their trademark tinkling piano is more in evidence than in recemt gigs adding colour to their darkly gothic canon. They launch headlong into the Liberace-does-death-metal of ‘Parade’ and career through a set that mixes golden oldies with some nerve-jangling new material, which, they announce, will be on an album next year. “Buy it, you ****s” screeches an eerie disembodied voice which may have come from the merchandise table. Could be an ideal present for Xmas 2004.

Stuart McHugh