Brigands steal our hearts

Romania's "Band of Brigands" (the rough translation of Taraf de Haidouks) is a group of Romanian Gypsies who, since the death of Ceausescu in 1990, have taken their wild and eccentric village music to admirers throughout the world from Kronos Quartet to Johnny Depp.

Sadly, in recent years several of the most charismatic veterans of the band have died or become too sick to travel, so their shows lack something for those familiar with the Taraf of old. But the band's strength has always been its organic nature and last night's group, with clarinettist Filip Simeonov, was charged with a sense of renewal rather than decline.

They performed relatively few numbers from Maskarada, their rather dodgy - in my opinion - recent album of gypsified versions of popular classics by Khachaturian, Bartok, Falla and others. They did what they do best: wild instrumentals and characterful songs - mostly performed by Costica, the smiling, balding, and probably most veteran member of the group. Even the "composed" pieces, having been in the band's repertoire for a few months, have become re-energised. The Bartok Ostinato was spectacular with sawing fiddles and thumping cimbalom. Unmistakably Bartok, but with an earthy bite.

In their encore they upped the fiddle speed to 150 notes per second and the reception for these Romanian Gypsies was glorious. Despite now being in the EU, it's still a different matter if they want to come over and find work.

Taraf De Haidouks & Forty Thieves Orkestar
Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre
The South Bank Centre,Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX