"Come on," said vocalist and guitarist Ken Papenfus, "Show some respect for the band." But to the fired-up crowd at Oxford's Po Na Na Club, the request was unnecessary, writes Tim Hughes.

Relish's singer/songwriter looked strangely at home among the mock-Moroccan decor of the Magdalen Street club.

The Relish boys

The cool arabesque cellar provided the perfect venue for what was a startling display of soul-infused funk rock. If anything, the club and its cramped stage were too small for this high-flying up-and-coming four-piece with its pogo-ing frontman.

Thursday night clubbers were brought to their feet as Ken Papenfus - backed by kid brother Carl on drums and fellow Irishman Darren Campbell on bass - delivered a storm of a set, laden with classic rock riffs, bouncy bass line, soaring vocals, and that trademark funky twang. Listen to tunes like Heart-shaped Box, You I'm Thinking Of, and the title track to their soon-to-be-released Wildflowers album, and you can't help but be reminded of early Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz and the superbad 70s soul sound of Sly and The Family Stone.

Ken Papenfus with his swept-back mini-dreads and guitar wizardry even looks like a youthful pretender to the Hendrix crowd. The sound is unashamedly retro and derivative, though falls short of blatant Ocean Colour Scene-style rock-ripoff. Instead, the band builds on a long heritage of cool soulful rock by adding their own energetic stamp.

By the end of an all-too-short 40 minute set, most people were captivated. However Papenfus senior was obviously used to more, as he ticked off drinkers at the bar for failing to get involved and for talking through the band's new single Rainbow Zephyr.

However, the final track, Beautiful People, was announced as a (perhaps tongue-in-cheek) tribute to a good-looking and lively Oxford audience. Relish go on to support Mo Solid Gold and Cast on both bands' UK tours over the next two months. They also play alongside U2 at their Slane Castle, Ireland gig on August 25.

They can also be caught at the V 2001 festivals in Stafford and Chelmsford.

See them as soon as you can, while you can. If tonight was anything to go by, they are going to be huge.