Tribes, PJ Molloys, Thursday 31st January THERE was obviously some mistake when Tribes decided to meander into remote backwater territory on their 'In The Sticks' tour and decided our fair toon fitted the bill - but it was a welcome blunder.

They said beforehand they planned to play hard and party hard on their tour and they put the jump leads on a bleak January night.

With nonchalant charm and oozing quality they showcased tracks from last year's 'Baby' and the forthcoming 'Wish to Scream'.

That album, out in May, was recorded at Sound City Studios in Malibu following in the illustrious footsteps of everyone from Nirvana to Fleetwood Mac.

Its release looks set to fire up their prominence and elevate them on to the main stages at this summer's festivals.

'When My Day Comes', 'Sappho' and 'Corner of an English Field' got the gig off to a classy start in front of an appreciative audience, some of them there to see what the hype was all about.

They went on to seal the deal with 'Bad Apple' and tracks from the new album including 'Graceland',' Dance Hall' and 'How the Other Half Live'.

An unabashed guitar band who prefer to be called rock and roll to indie, Tribes are refreshingly evangelic over the new material, which is a rich melodic blend.

Their 'Sticks' tour got them back close to their fans and was a throwback to their early days playing in the bars of Camden. They can look forward to playing much bigger arenas soon.