CULT favourites Half Man Half Biscuit brought their flippant brand of post-punk to a jubilant South-Wales audience.

For 30 years the Wirral heroes have foregone the overt anger of their peers, with witty wordplay and rapid-fire pop-culture references instead being the foursome's weapons of choice. Fans young and old filled Cardiff's Tramshed venue for a rare appearance by the group, who seldom tour.

John Peel championed the band since 1985 debut album "Back in the DHSS" and the lively concert saw classics aired from across their storied career. With the faithful bellowing all the words to satirical singalongs "Paintball's Coming Home" and "Trumpton Riots", the appeal shows no sign of dimming. Fans shouted song titles throughout and a large cheer erupted at the start of each tune.

Scouse frontman Nigel Blackwell drily bantered with the crowd between each song, with the tight band always poised to fire up again. The irritants of everyday life provided much of the lyrical subject matter, with one song hilariously lamenting the difficulty of washing a sieve. “Footprints” and “Vatican Broadside” saw the crowd pogo and fall around laughing in equal measure.

A finale of signature track "Joy Division Oven Gloves" sent everyone home happy.

Declan Harte