Death Valley Girls @ YES, Manchester, 10.05.25

Ushered onstage by a succession of Motown classics, Berliners Bella And The Bizarre are kindred spirits with headliners Death Valley Girls, touting a modern take on garage rock. A jovial bunch despite their lyrical preoccupation with teen heartache a la The Shangri-la's : "This is another sad one, Yay!" goes the intro to one song, the troupe at points sound like a power pop re-imagining of the first Tycoon of Teen Phil Spector.

Bolstered by Kim and Kelley Deal-style harmonies and an excellent drummer who steers the tracks with ringing ride cymbal propulsion. The ‘Bizarre are to use a much employed music journalism phrase, well worth keeping an eye on.

Regular visitors to these Isles, the Death Valley Girls travelling roadshow is ideally suited to YES, Manchester, as the staircase to the upstairs room features a projection of Andy Warhol Eating a Hamburger (the pop art genius liked prosaic titles), a clip referenced in the video for Disaster (Is What We’re After), starring the similarly legendary James Osterberg.

Arriving onstage the band all touch the ceiling of the venue – a superstition maybe? – to acclimatise themselves with their surroundings as the stomping, sax led incantation of Abre Camino opens the set. Supremely well drilled, the quintet locate the sweet spot between garage rock rawness and the songwriting discipline of classic pop, the group's juxtapostion of California Noir: Doors, Airplane, with the States’ sunshine pop moments: Fleetwood Mac, The Go-Go’s, creates something of their own.

Piloted by lead singer / songwriter Bonnie Bloomgarden on keys, her spot-on vocals are backed by harmonies courtesy of bravura bassist, Teddy Waggy. A superb frontwoman, chatting to the audience, Bloomgarden jumps down into the moshpit to deliver two tracks without missing a beat.

Theme tune of sorts Death Valley Boogie is buoyed by Sarah Safaie's saxophone motifs, with the insistent choruses of Magic Powers and the punked up blast of Street Justice supplying the show's highlights. A debate about the pretence of encores – why not just stay onstage? – following a consulation with the sound desk sees the gig extend past the 10pm live curfew.

Warmly received by the DVG collective (far less sinister sounding than cult) who have turned out tonight, the Los Angeles' dream weavers' decade plus voyage progresses in spellbinding style.