Just occasionally rather than get carried away by particular songs it’s the entirety of the sound that I get off on. My recent live experience of Canadian duo Cleopatrick moved me in that way.

At their recent gig at Huddersfield’s Parish, Cleopatrick just gave off a vibe of power and confidence – nothing showy, nothing negative just a display that their music is simply an extension of themselves. While I think I’d be slightly intimidated by someone who embodied the sheer strength of the music of Cleopatrick in human form, I’d adore them immensely from afar.

The first band of the evening were likable funsters Thunder and the Giants from Liverpool. They seemed to be genuinely surprised at the numbers coming early and expressed some nerves given that the hall was already pretty full. As Thunder and The Giants explained, their songs are about girls, depression and being a dick head on a night out. Think we lads can find material they can relate to here. There’s a good humour in both the music and performance.

The band’s performance was a touch loose and heavy, but that helped give a sense to the relaxed comfortable feel of the band. I witnessed perhaps the coolest pint stop as the band stopped mid song for a swig. The guitar of Spencer impressed and I was not the only one lining up to tell the band we had enjoyed their set.

So what to say about the cool assured Cleopatrick? Just perfectly paced with the duo building up a roomful of drum heavy noise, which pulsed with strong intensity. The lads bouncing to the beat in the steaming heat in the room found an irresistible need to peel off their shirts, flex their biceps and join the event. Hearts beat as one.

One lad swept into the intensity of the occasion bounded onto the stage. Lead singer Luke Gruntz dealt with the situation with aplomb. He pointed out that as the song they were leading into had a slow intro, the invader’s wait for the stage dive was going to take a while and his standing there would be embarrassing for all parties. The duo changed the tempo to create an impromptu stage dive, result: lad’s blushes saved, bouncer’s anxiety resolved and Cleopatrick could play unhindered. Neatly done.

In terms of soundalikes, the comparison with noise duo Royal Blood is tempting but a little misguided. I love Royal Blood live but Cleopatrick have more melody and a touch of neat footwork in their music, perhaps an edge of someone like the Arctic’s melded in.

Cleopatrick are in the process of organising another UK visit this autumn although specific dates have yet to be announced. Keep your ears to the ground.

Chris R