It has been 3 years since We Are Scientists last performed in Belfast with their album Megaplex. Although plenty has changed in that time, their latest album offering of Huffy has rekindled what keeps their audiences coming back for more – an unruly outlet for adult angst.

Opening with ‘You’ve lost your sh*t’ couldn’t have been a better choice as a rather reserved crowd wrapped up for a rainy night in November soon became a sweaty menagerie of megafans. A throwback to 2016’s ‘Buckle’ cements an already excitable audience. It’s a good sign – in 2018, the energetic two piece were trying out new things and reviews claimed they were in danger of losing what made them so popular in the first place. As it turns out, their fears were unfounded. If Megaplex was a bump in the road, Huffy is the green light that signals this duo are back to their best.

There’s much to love about a We Are Scientists performance. Walking on stage to Tina Turner’s ‘Simply the best’, there is no arrogance or pretence here. A warm welcome of ‘Hello Belfastians’ in Keith Murray’s American twang in 2021 to rival the 2018 ‘Belfastulites’ feels like home. At times, you become unsure if you are at a comedy sketch or music gig – it keeps you deliciously on your toes.

It is this down to earth attitude that manages to fill out the Limelight on an otherwise uninspiring night. Of course, the music is good – pop-y, punky and catchy. But it almost doesn’t matter. The fans that may have been listening for the last 21 years have been waiting for this night for a while. We Are Scientists manage to transform these loyal patrons with sensible anoraks in hand and a 9am start in the morning into carefree, frenzied punks – if only for two or so hours. All of this, on a stormy Tuesday night in Belfast before midnight. It’s certainly not science – but it may be magic.