The culture clash that rocks

While the queue stretched out into the rain and onto Brixton Hill, the diminutive Franco-Spanish Manu and his eight-strong band took to the stage at 8.30pm, depriving some punters of his opening set. And he started as many other bands would finish - high on energy, which didn't let up for two-and-a-half hours.

The audience - which reflected his global appeal with complements of French, Spanish, South Americans and Londoners of various ages - lapped it up punching fists into the air, waving arms and pogoing at his behest.

Three songs in, he defied the reputation of his two-million-selling Clandestino with a rendition of hisfamous Bongo Bong - a song that has its roots in his former band Manu Negra. This wasn't the laid-back, barbecue-friendly CD version. It was punk-ska: upbeat and frenetic.

Then, just as things seemed to be getting too much, he perfectly paced his set with a strategic break, leaving the stage to return with a semi-acoustic guitar. He brought the dynamic down, playing some heartfeltrenditions of Minha Galera and Clandestino - which allow ed his acoustic guitarist to let rip with a virtuoso and spellbinding solo - before launching into some new material.

When he tried to leave the stage, the audience w ouldn't have it, so he embarked on a 50-minute sequence of encores, embracing his audience with his frenzy.If itall lacked some of the intimacy and melody of the music of his records, it was a small price to payfor the exuberance that he generated.

His anti-corporate stance mixed with his music that embraces samba, salsa, ballads and folksong, as well as all European languages created something truly explosive: his very ow n cultural clash. And it rocked.

The Manuchiados