Metronomy, The Arches, 30 April 2009

Unbuttoning a new lineup for the first time at Hinterland, Metronomy fit the Arches like a custom-made, electronic, pop-sewn glove. With the addition of a live drummer, new bassist and stripped-down backing tracks they get an initially hesitant Glasgow crowd dancing – on a school night no less – to songs including ‘Heartbreaker’ and ‘Radio Ladio.’ Introducing the new members during a lounge-based interlude to single ‘A Thing For Me,’ frontman Joseph Mount displays a confidence in his stage presence that’s mirrored by the rest of the band in their first performance as a unit.

Heavy on falsetto vocals, and with clever use of samples and keys, comparisons to the Klaxons are never far off and with their new drum setup they sound a little Battles-esque too. To top it all, the performance is peppered with ‘staple’ keyboardist and saxophone tooter Oscar Cash’s superb dance moves, which provide a welcomed visual accompaniment to their music.

‘Let’s not worry about this swine flu, let’s share drinks and not wash our hands,’ proposes Mount with a humour that endears them further to the sizeable crowd, and by the time they close their set, Glasgow has been completely won over by the visiting Londoners.

Metronomy can leave Hinterland secure in the fact that 150 people will be talking about them tomorrow and not the damn pig plague. Not bad for a Thursday night.