The Strypes, a young rhythm and blues band from Ireland, are taking the world by storm one gig at a time. And they’re all still under eighteen. Don’t let their youth fool you, however: The Strypes are a slick, sophisticated outfit, performing with the assurance of a much more experienced band. What makes The Strypes unique in this age of manufactured pop is their genuine musical knowledge and ability. Citing retro rock groups like Dr Feelgood and the Yardbirds as their musical influences, The Strypes harness and re-channel this vintage sound in a way that is authentic rather than novelty-driven, and which attracts a surprisingly wide age demographic, as evidenced in Cambridge Junction on Tuesday night. 

It’s not easy to perform to an audience cold, particularly to one that probably isn’t familiar with your music, but Dublin-based The Raglans opened the show with a solid set. Their laid-back style was a slightly incongruous fit with The Strypes more frenetic style of performance, but ‘Digging Holes’ and the catchy ‘Natives’ from their soon-to-be-released debut album were obvious audience favourites. However, nothing could match the crescendo of noise which greeted The Strypes as they appeared on-stage to raucous shouts and screams from an energised audience (who later proved that moshing isn’t something reserved for Bloc Party gigs).

Having seen The Strypes before, I had high expectations for the opening gig of their UK tour, and they didn’t disappoint. Interestingly, they chose to open the show with a cover of Happy Mondays’ ‘Step On’ rather than one of their own tracks, but they launched from there into a blistering set from their repertoire, delivered at an unrelenting pace for both band and audience alike. Touring around Europe with The Arctic Monkeys has given the band a new edge and maturity. They were confident before, but they’ve raised their game considerably, dominating the stage with even more energy and just the right amount of swagger. Frontman Ross Farrelly, notorious for wearing his shades on-stage to combat shyness, looked much more comfortable: moving about the stage, interacting with the audience and even cracking a few smiles.  Stretching his strong, rich voice to full capacity, he ripped through the setlist, showing off his dulcet tones in slower numbers like ‘Angel Eyes’, but flirting with a quirky, blue-grass vibe in ‘Still Gonna Drive You Home’.

Guitarist Josh McClorey played like a man possessed, alternating between caressing his guitar like a lover and leaping through the air, wielding it as a weapon. McClorey courted the audience’s attention, striking poses to allow the screaming girls in the front row to snap pictures and stalking across the stage. But despite his obvious charisma and on-stage antics, no one can doubt McClorey’s guitar playing credentials, as evidenced by some incredible guitar solos that set the audience alight. After all, this is the guitarist who impressed Paul Weller so much that he enlisted his and fellow bandmate Pete O’Hanlon’s help during his Rough Trade East gig in London last year. Unassuming bassist O’Hanlon is the ballast to McClorey’s storm, but he too came centre-stage to show off his astounding skills on the harmonica, as the guys switched things up for their rip-roaring cover of ‘Got Love If You Want It’. It’s easy to overlook drummer Evan Walsh, but his is the beat that grounds the band, and his fellow band members frequently gravitated towards him throughout the show.

With their debut album, Snapshot, The Strypes are still making waves, but have a long way to go to achieve longevity in the music business.  Yet they are a natural-born performance band, pumping the audience full of energy and feeding off that energy in order to deliver hit after hit straight to the gut. With performances like the one I witnessed in Cambridge, they don’t need to worry about the future. Unless they run out of steam.