The Mountain Goats (December 10th, Billboard)

You don't realise this until you go to one of their gigs, but the Mountain Goats have some devoted fans. Fans who have been with them for years, who can shout out obscure requests during the set and know all the words. Avid, crazy however you want to describe them... if only they weren't so damn tall! Or if only I hadn't been standing behind the one that looked like Sideshow Bob, who was filming the show and writing down the set list. There should be a height restriction on the front ten metres of venues to below five foot eight.

The Mountain Goats seem like a band who always put on a great show. John Darnielle is charismatic, entertaining and manages to please the crowd while still playing the set HE wants to play. Last night was a chance to hear their new album Heretic Pride showcased, as well as some familiar classics from other albums. It was a lot rockier than their set last year at the Corner. Their new drummer has obviously inspired a slightly different approach.

They opened with Have to Explode from Tallahassee, followed by Heretic Pride. The set also contained Slow West Vultures, Sept 15 1983, Wizard Buys a Hat, Maybe Sprout Wings, New Zion, Autoclave, Lovecraft in Brooklyn, The Craters on the Moon and Color In Your Cheeks. The version of Game Shows Touch Our Lives was amazing and so different from the album version on Tallahassee. A true indication of their dynamic approach to music. The set closed with crowd pleaser This Year, the only song from The Sunset Tree to make it into the night's repertoire. A bit of a shame, as this is their best album.

The encore was great, as always. Hearing No Children live again was a definite highlight and getting to sing along to the fervent but disturbing lyrics was fun. I also loved singing along to Palmcorder Yanja as the closer to the night. It's good on the album and fantastic live. Wild Sage also rounded out the encore, along with House Guest.

Last night's show did have a few minor downfalls, however. It seemed to take awhile to get the sound mix right in a couple of songs. At the beginning of the set, the drum reverberation was a little discomforting. The technical hiccups were a pity, given the flawless night they had at the Corner Hotel last year. Also, with such a huge catalogue, there were inevitably going to be some songs I'd like to have heard. Alibi for one, seeing as it was especially written for Australia's Babylon Springs EP. Also, See America Right and Southwood Plantation Road, along with Letter from Belgium are personal favourites. But they'll be back. The fan base here guarantees that.