They have yet to release a single or record a debut album, but the Twang are already being hailed the saviours of real rock’n’roll. In the BBC’s Sounds of 2007 poll, the Birmingham-based quintet came second only to the polished popstrel Mika, and their first London show since signing a deal late last year had kids queueing round the block until the early hours of Saturday morning.

Topping the bill at Club NME, the Twang arrived on stage an hour late to play a set that lasted half that long. Certainly, it takes a lofty level of self-belief to treat fans as badly and expect to see them leave pleased, but the Twang have ego in spades. They claim to have called themselves Britain’s best new band at an early rehearsal, although it took several years on the Midlands circuit to persuade many people to agree.

At the start of their Koko set it was hard to fathom what the fuss was about. The opener Loosely Dancing lived up to its title by blending baggy beats, chiming guitars, a touch of techno and so-so vocals from the skinny Mike Skinner-like lead singer Phil Etheridge and his sidekick Martin Saunders. In terms of their baggy predecessors, they were less Happy Mondays than the all-but-forgotten Flowered Up.

Despite much hugging and cheering from the frontmen, plus hints of terrace-chant potential, the second song Lost My Smile made little impact, while the slower, moodier forthcoming single Wide Awake boasted a lovely guitar line but hardly brought the house down. Finally though, the Twang hit their stride with Either Way — their rock, dance and haunting atmospherics built into a swaggering anthem, with Etheridge and Saunders’s dual vocals slotting easily into the mix.

Three further tracks, notably the closer Cloudy Room, were also impressive, but just as the Twang were living up to their rowdy reputation, they were off. Worth the hype? Perhaps. Worth the wait? Probably not.

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