Brittle pop upstarts, Frankie & The Heartstrings arrived fully formed, and full of tunes, earlier this year with debut longplayer ‘Hunger’. A statement of intent every bit as perky and angular as their silky quiffs, Hunger was manfully produced by everyone’s bruised hero, Edwyn Collins. And there’s much of the Postcard pop DNA on this set of sharp and jangly Geordie tunes. No wonder 6Music adore them. Think The Futureheads with better hair care.

Live chops: Lead man Frankie Francis is a raggedly handsome chap with a good line in bouncy, energetic on-stage antics. The band? They’re as tight as their trousers. And that’s very tight. 8/10

Track record: Debut album Hunger features plenty of indie anthems in waiting - so catchy you’ll be fooled into thinking you’ve had them on repeat on your MP3 player of choice for months. You might even be persuaded to sing along to their a cappella stomps. 7/10

Supporting acts: Irresistibly joyous Pete and the Pirates, another current 6Music fave (who doesn’t love their new single, United? We do. It even deserves a second video, below) head a strong line-up of support acts that also features Wolf Gang, Polarsets, The Liberty Vessels and Stone Street. 9/10

Venue: Mojo is certainly enjoying a purple patch right now, with gigs by Vetiver and Best Coast lined up for later in the year. Does it enjoy the best acoustics in the city? Er, no. Have you seen those rafters? 6/10

Thursday 19 May
Mojo, Back Berry Street
Liverpool Sound City