Their methodology stuns the 3,000 crowd – start slow, build to thunderous crescendo. At the line “it’s tragic,” that bold Bax magic (waterfall keyboards, crazed double bass, vocals that soar and crash) has them mesmerised. Added to this is a ‘Better’ that couldn’t be bettered, some Feather And Stone faves and a finale featuring a kit-thrashing that Keith Moon might envy. Baxter smites the bodhran and all hands, including the lights guy, go mad: an encore would have constituted an anti-climax.
After bathing in sweat at Baxter’s it is time to (re)face the music. Someone asked Gracie Slick once, in the glory days of the Airplane, whether she thought the punters came to see her or the band. “You put six rats and a duck on the stage,” she replied, “they’ll look at the duck.” And when KT Tunstall and band slope on to the strains of ‘Be Bop A Lula’ all eyes are on the Caledonian Quatro. “I do love you” sing the word-perfect wannabe girl chorus on my left, as KT and the band set the night on fire. “One in four people is insane," she tells us. “This one’s for you.” Hits and tryouts go down equally well. Standouts include her spotlit solo ‘The Hidden Heart’ and a rocking ensemble workout of Uncle Lou’s ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’. Tasty guitars, boys. But pogoing, guitar duelling, cracking wise and giving it socks, KT is the sunshine, the band is the band.