The Horrors – Kazimier, Liverpool

First on tonight are Toy, a five piece who inhabit a reverb-addled world of paisley euphoria, sculpting pop masterpieces out of arpeggio guitars and ghost synths. With slabs of krautrock also in their trick bag, they are well-equipped to blow a few minds from here on.

The Horrors, for their part, have realised they don’t need to dress up to look weird these days. Lead singer Faris Badwan possesses the physiology of a mutant praying mantis, while other members accentuate their innate oddness. Keyboardist Tom Cowan is apparently sculpted out of wax, playing the Germanic synth droid to perfection, while androgynous bassist Rhys Webb bobs up and down like a Thunderbirds puppet, secure in the knowledge that in a galaxy far, far away, someone finds him sexy.

They roll out tonight’s set with an understated self-assurance. ‘I Can See Through You’ anchors Faris’ chilly melodramatics to a hip-shaking groove, while ‘Dive In’ betrays a much-discussed ’90s Madchester influence.

All is going to plan, but it’s impossible not to be distracted by a figure at the front of the crowd, who becomes the focus of tonight’s drama. Easily six foot six, with a shock of ginger hair, he stands directly in front of Faris, holding what looks like a Newcastle Utd scarf above his head, obscuring views and generally getting on peoples’ tits. “PUT THE FUCKING SCARF DOWN!!” come the calls from behind him, along with unfunny gingerist jibes, which he responds to with V-signs.

Initially at least, Faris doesn’t seem put off, coming over all Marc Almond on the torch-songish ‘Endless Blue’. Truly, this band have come a long way since 2009 when they were the whipping-boys of goth-trash, and are now turning out indie floor-fillers, without losing what Nicky Wire called their ‘element of chaos’.

Soon enough, Joe Spurgen sets up the brooding drum pattern that signals the advance of the endorphin tsunami that is ‘Still Life’. In a frankly Snow Patrol-esque scene, the crowd sing along with every word, arms outstretched.

The over-keen irritant at the front is now waving his scarf so manically in one hand that he’s actually polishing Faris’ mic stand through his efforts. When he stumbles and looks likely to topple onto the low stage, the singer reaches out and slaps him in the face without missing a line of the song.

It’s strange to witness such a moment of drama amid the mass celebrations, but beer and crowd dynamics are taking over now. A mosh pit is brewing, and during the final, rave-flavoured epic ‘Moving Further Away’, the increasingly boisterous crowd, with much pushing, remove the problem punter from his pole position. Fighting back, he is then kicked out by a bouncer; and troublingly, we hear he is set upon and beaten up by fans outside.

For all their newly-found finesse, it seems for The Horrors, the element of chaos is still around.

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