Dum Dum Girls @ FAC251, Manchester 13.11.11

With rave reviews, the appearance of Only in Dreams is a welcome one. ‘Bedroom Eyes’ La’s jangle sounds all the more resonant in a live setting, ‘In My Head’s surf-guitar and ‘Wasting Away’s fuzzy C86 tones wash the crowd in 60’s girl group saccharine. Meanwhile, ‘Heartbeat’ should cause any of the Manc crowd to go wild tonight – it’s shimmering and mid-paced guitar sounding perfectly placed in the Smith’s home tonight.

Of course, it’s the old tracks which really remind us of why we all fell in love with the band in the first place. ‘I Will Be Your Girl’ evokes spirits of Joy Division’s ‘She’s Lost Control’ with a nonchalant and ice-cool charm, whilst ‘Bhang Bhang I’m a Burnout’ chills proceedings down as the crowd nod in perfect unison. If tonight’s proof of anything, Dum Dum Girls’ charm lies far past the period they’re associated with.