Last updated 13:37, Thursday, 08 May 2008

The Zutons, Whitehaven Civic HallScouse rock stars The Zutons showed they’d learned the local lingo as they opened their gig in Whitehaven with the rallying cry: “All right Marras!”

The Liverpool band showed a classy touch by taking time to tap into a true bit of west Cumbrian culture in time for the sell-out show at the town’s Civic Hall.

But they needn’t have tried too hard – the mere mention of their forthcoming gig sent the venue’s box office into meltdown.

After organisers described demand for the show as “phenomenal”, the group were never going to leave without being given a typically riotous west Cumbrian reception.

And they returned the favour at the end, with singer and guitarist David McCabe chanting “Whitehaven, Whitehaven” after the crowd sang the band’s name following a triumphant closing salvo of songs.

Sloping onstage with one of the finest collections of curly hair since Kevin Keegan was at his playing peak, and sporting Merseyside accents broader than a Brookside reunion party, the group kicked off a tour that sees them start with the small-scale Civic Hall and continue on to much-bigger venues later in the summer.

Opening with Don’t Ever Think (Too Much) from their huge-selling first album Who Killed The Zutons, the band proceeded to fire through a string of big numbers from their back catalogue, including Pressure Point, You Will You Won’t and Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love.

Songs from forthcoming album You Can Do Anything showed a harder edge than the stomping, quirkier feel of the early hits.

But there was no prizes for guessing the biggest song of the night. Valerie was a popular enough song in its own right as a stand-out track from their last album, but has now taken off even further after being covered by Amy Winehouse last year.

An encore of Zuton Fever and new single Always Right Behind You crowned the evening, setting the band up for bigger – but surely not better – shows ahead.

NICK GRIFFITHS