Bounding onstage with the velocity of hyperactive five-year-olds, the motley crew of hip hop pranksters that is the Goldie Lookin' Chain were clearly up for the crack. The lucky punters in the first two rows reeled back with an immediate contact high from the spliffstream as Xain, Eggsy, Mystikal, The Maggot, Adam Hussein et. al bounced about making intros and ensuring everybody felt right at home, which, in a sense, we all were. The eight-man GLC posse (minus the foot soldiers) sparred and bantered amongst themselves before launching into the excellent "Newport's In Tha House" (and, people, I don’t mean the beach). Taking the piss is an art form best left to the experts but the good-natured GLC don't give a shit, which in fact makes them the experts. Lyrically, the incisive yet obscure references are delivered with such speed and dexterity even I found it hard to catch all the embedded jokes. And I'm from Newport.

When I first encountered the GLC via some dodgy demos in 2003, I was quite sure that their lyrics - logged on to very Welsh/British perspectives and pop/TV culture of a parochial (but perfectly formed nature) could not, would not, travel much further than the Severn Bridge. How wrong I was. The Chain, as completely irreverent as they are, take gritty social commentary to a whole (ah) higher level, with an unrelenting silliness that celebrates the naff and scorns the proud. Lyrically, they keep it so real, that nobody's safe, unless it's 'safe as Fuck'. "Guns don’t' kill people, rappers do…ask any politician and he'll tell you it's true. It's a fact. Music makes you violent..." from their massive UK hit, and "P Diddy means shit to me, J-Lo means shit to me, F@#k you Alicia Keys…" says it all really.

The Independent crowd was a little unsure how to handle all the unbridled energy at first. This may be a hip hop band but they don’t play to hip hop audiences. This is standup comedy, with music as the delivery agent for the manifesto. They are perhaps the funniest band to meld music and humor since the HeeBeeGeeBees, but they've got the beats down, bra. The crowd got so into it that one cute button of a homegirl leapt onstage and broke out some killer moves until a dazed roadie encouraged her off the stage. Who could blame her? The GLC basslines are the BEST I've heard in an eon. Dance producers take note.

Ceaselessly striding the stage, Xain exhorted the audience to dance like they were all on drugs (we duly obliged) as Eggsy was heard to proclaim his admiration for the local grass "the weed is very strong here in EssEff!" and Adam Hussein momentarily got separated from his mic. All good clean fun then, and the rousing reception from the crowd is a good indication that these boyz will be back with a vengeance after they’ve completed their massive UK summer festival marathon.

GLC. You knows it.

Goldie Lookin' Chain's debut full-length, Straight Outta Newport, is out now.