Even though System 7 are well suited and experienced at performing at larger events, they are also very adept at playing the more intimate gigs such as their appearance at the legendary King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow. Much has been written and awarded to this venue, and it is easy to see why it is so revered as the moment you step into the venue it feels like a simple cosy public house with a great music history seeping out from the many poster plastered walls.

The bar and even toilets only being a short hop away from the stage, no burly security monsters or posers, and a friendly mixed crowd of all ages and styles makes sure that a night out here listening to music is a relaxed, convenient, comfortable and friendly affair. The sight of two huge eight foot high speaker stacks in such a small venue set my teeth on edge straightaway, as this can sometimes spoil the ambiance and vibe of a night if it is not done correctly and distorted aural hell is let loose all night making it impossible to enjoy anything else apart from your eardrums shortening their lifespan. This was something that Steve Hillage also alluded to as a concern before it was their turn to step up, as System 7 are not exactly shy of pumping out the decibels in their performances.

These concerns turned out to be a wasted emotion though as the sound engineer did a great job and the music was perfectly rounded, filled the venue without making conversation impossible, and had none of the distortion at the top-end that some of these smaller venues can suffer from.

First up was support act 'I Am Blip' who belted out some solid mechanical techno that was tempered wonderfully by some simple melodies and tuneful synths. With his almost coffee-table-like small stand and simple hardware he made it all look very easy and is obviously someone to keep an eye on because of his relative youthfulness compared to some others in the venue. Next up were the headliners and they managed to lift the vibe because of the more tactile and involving connection that can be offered by two experienced performers with one being free to show off to the crowd with his guitar antics.

Much has been said about System 7's contribution to electronic music in the marrying of guitars and synths - so there is no point going over old ground here. Each track had some solid percussion and chords being programmed by Miquette allowing Steve to showcase his now legendary string skills and get the crowd worked up in a frenzy of meaty melodic techno. Lots of material was being played from their most recent album 'Phoenix' and a nod was also made to the very successful remix of 'Space Bird' by Dubfire with the duo using his clanking beats to add a different live dimension to the track and work the vibe up even further.

Encores were called for and much merriment ensued throughout the evening. I don't care what pure rock fans may say - there is something very special and uniquely uplifting when dance music is done well in a live environment like this. The partnering of guitars and synths is done a lot nowadays in many types of bands but System 7 always seem to be able to tap into a slightly different vein and ensure that acoustic and electronic fans equally have something very special to take away from their performances and log away in their brains as a gig to remember.

Review by Eric Lee