Life Aquatic Band

Life Aquatic Band (L.A.B) play Sidney & Matilda on Friday 30 October, their sound sitting somewhere between Graceland-era Paul Simon, the B-52s and LCD Soundsystem. They're a Sheffield band, and the set pulls from 70s pop, new wave and 2000s electroclash, held together by latin grooves, cowbells, searing synth lines and positive mantras. It's a wide net to cast, but the common thread is a dancefloor energy that doesn't quite settle into one easy category.

They've tightened their live show into something darker and more dancefloor-driven than before, built on analogue loops, chanting vocals and synths that swing from sweet to abrasive. All of that is anchored by a 70s-inspired No Wave backbeat; fans of Liquid Liquid and Talking Heads will find a familiar pulse here, though the band pushes it somewhere new. They describe their own sound as upbeat, sun-drenched and life-affirming, and their shows as high-energy and genre-hopping.

The date itself plays into the Halloween timing, with a free T-shirt for the best costume, so it's a night that works as well if you turn up dressed as something else as it does if you just come for the music.

It's at Sidney & Matilda, The Showroom, Rivelin Works, 46 Sidney Street, S1 4RH. The music runs from 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM, with doors opening at 7:30 PM. Tickets are £13.20 for general admission and £7.70 for students and low-wage workers.