Domino Crystal Anniversary

Barbican, London
4 out of 5 4

This was the first of three shows designed to celebrate the 15th (crystal) anniversary of Domino Records, one of the last great indie imprints. Unfortunately, Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand aren't performing, but the presence, over three nights at the Barbican, of artists as varied as Tricky, Max Tundra and Yo Majesty is testament to the label's diversity.

First on tonight are Junior Boys, a Canadian trio led by guitarist/keyboardist Jeremy Greenspan, a beardy nerd in crumpled jeans who sings in a frail soul voice and makes pristine, future-perfect pop every bit as bubbly and infectious as Hot Chip's. New song Heartbreak is like Alexander O'Neal fronting the Art of Noise.

There's a lot of excitement about headliners Liquid Liquid, one of those cult acts that Domino likes to rescue from obscurity and afford the lavish reissue treatment. Here, they have gone one better and enticed the Manhattan punk-funk quartet to perform. Wholly non-electronic, featuring a bassist and three percussionists, they're dressed in stylish suits. With a businesslike air, they turn the Barbican into a dark carnival, or at least a 1981 loft party in Tribeca, with their cerebral yet visceral jungle boogie. It's a rich sound, considering it is just bass and beats. Dennis Young's marimba is used to rhythmic not melodic effect, backing Salvatore Principato's eerie yelps.

During Cavern, the track whose two-note bass riff was sampled by Grandmaster Flash for White Lines, you can hear why Hercules & Love Affair and LCD Soundsystem namecheck them. It all sounds incredibly contemporary - if a skinny bunch from Camden emerged tomorrow brandishing a sound as urgent and darkly danceable as Bellhead, they'd be hailed as new gods.

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