"Is this Northern Irish night?", someone says.  It certainly seems like it.  Fighting With Wire have dragged their mates along for this tour, and General Fiasco prove impressive support - a youthful trio that belt out perky pop-rock akin to Tellison or The X-Certs.  They have focus, they have 'their sound', but what they lack so far is a truly fantastic song to raise the roof.  Several come close, such as "Maybe I'm A LIttle Strange", but nothing lingers after they've left the stage.  Still, we're uplifted so they're obviously on the right track. 

Fighting With Wire are gradually beginning their ascent.  Debut album 'Man vs Monster' dropped in May and the venues are getting bigger, the songs sound richer, and the onstage banter is coming on a treat.  "I fingered Madonna", frontman Cahir O'Doherty announces, driven on by friendly hecklers.  He also shares his experience of a Reverend and the Makers show, where it seemed "like they had a button marked 'all Reverend and the Makers songs', and just pressed it".  As "Machine Parts" and "Make A Fist" roar from the stage, it's evident that Fighting With Wire want a bit of that same mainstream pie.  There are melodies aplenty to cling on to, delivered with enough power to maintain credibility - it's Foo Fighters and Biffy Clyro territory.  However, while that means some of the formulae have been heard before, there's directness to the Fighting With Wire method that earns applause; it's aggressive and honest, and there isn't a hint of bullshit in sight.

8/10

- Mike Haydock, Rock Sound