I have to say I'd never seen a band with a 5ft-tall rapping frontman, who was brought on stage in a box.

Said frontman, MC Mancub, was lifted out of said box and sat on bandmate's knee, before launching into a rap in the manner of a ventriloquist's dummy.

Did I mention he was wearing a mummy-style mask created out of white sticky tape and drinking a glass of red wine?

This bizarre episode was the encore to Babyhead's set and by that point the eight-piece's wonderfully surreal stage antics seemed the norm.

Blending ska, hip-hop, dub, storytelling and theatrics, the Bristol band's whirlwind of a live show was a lesson in slick musicianship and exquisite showmanship.

Wearing ill-fitting suits, waistcoats, baseball caps and plimsolls, they looked a bit like Madness, rapped a bit like Beastie Boys, skanked a bit like The Specials and preached a bit like Gil Scott Heron, while commanding the stage like George Clinton's Parliament.

Babyhead have been around for 13 years but never really got noticed until they introduced a horn section about four years ago.

Their chaotic live shows are now renowned in their home town. The release of second album Babyboomtown should ensure their popularity elsewhere.