Today is a big day for the Tivoli Venue. This year marks the 100th birthday of the building, and while there are celebrations galore planned to mark this auspicious occasion tonight’s gig is the official opener of the Tiv’s 100th year. Originally a venue for pantomimes, there is panto planned for later in the week but first we get to celebrate with a bit of party rock. Atlanta’s Kicking Valentina are no strangers to these shores, but support act Sisters Doll are here on their first ever UK tour, and they are raring to go.

So who are Sisters Doll? They are four brothers from a small town in Western Australia who have been writing and playing together for some 15 years despite the youngest and most recent addition only being 18 years old himself. There’s obviously not much else to do there, because over the course of those years these lads have honed and perfected their craft until they are able to give a slick, polished performance that belies their tender years.

They are fresh from a couple of US dates including some shows on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise where they totally blew everyone away, and we are very much looking forward to seeing what they can bring to a somewhat sultry Tuesday night in Wales. The evening starts not so much with a bang as a hiccup – after the first song there is a weird feedback thing going on that is giving us a sound like a rough sea even when they are not playing or singing. Several frantic soundmen seem unable to find the source of it, and in the end frontman Brennan shrugs and with typical Aussie charm decides that they might as well just play over it – if they are loud enough we won’t notice it right?

So off they duly go, giving us all the power, all the groove, all the fun that we can possibly handle. They dance, they pose, they strut – there are some moves that are very choreographed and some that are very obviously not! It’s all held together by catchy anthems, perfect harmonies and some rather splendid musicianship. Whilst most of the set is their own music and taken from their most recent album “Scars” they also throw in a few teasers that kind of point towards their influences. Their standout self-penned song ‘United’, as well as a hook worthy of a fleet of French trawlers, has a middle section that incorporates The Who’s ‘Baba O’Reilly’, and I spotted a quick burst of Budgie’s ‘Breadfan’ during the singalong-tastic ‘Black Mirror’. There’s also a hint of Kiss’s ‘Love Gun’ peeping out of their oldest song ‘Doll House’, with its slightly camp horror feel. Overall this was an excellent performance chock full of energy and smiles, and by the end of the set the crowd were totally won over and yelling back the choruses with gusto. This was one of those nights where in years to come when this band are bothering stadiums you will be able to look back and say “I was there”.

Kickin Valentina need very little introduction. If you’ve encountered them before you know what to expect and if you haven’t – where the hell have you been? They too are infectious, and although their sound is a little rougher and grittier they know how to party and they are determined that we will party with them. This is a band of the people, and from the first notes of opening track ‘Freakshow’ singer DK is down on the barrier with his crowd, a position he rarely leaves for the entire set. Every lyric he spits out is caught, lovingly caressed and thrown right back at him, resulting in an electric atmosphere that is truly warming to observe. Guitarist Heber keeps the riffs coming whilst the rhythm is maintained like a heartbeat by bassist Chris and drummer Jimmy. This is not so much a glitter band as a gutter band, they have a rawness that is as enticing as it is dangerous.

Songs from all three of their albums get an airing; they go right back to the beginning with ‘Sweat’ which is the first song they wrote together when DK joined and bring us right up to date with several songs from “Star Spangled Fist Fight” which was released last year. All the way through the energy never flags and the crowd are caught up in the party atmosphere. We sing choruses, we punch the air, we air guitar to the solos. The camaraderie between band members is touching to see, Kickin Valentina might not be blood brothers but they are brothers nonetheless, brothers in music and brothers in arms. The pace never stops, the songs catch you up into a breathless whirl of dancing and headbanging and before you know what has happened we have had a 14-song set of some of the grittiest, realest rock and roll you will ever see, Sisters Doll have come up on stage to do the woah-oh chorus in encore song ‘Get Ready’, the lights are on and it’s time to go home.

The crowd tonight may have been a little sparse, but every single one of them witnessed an explosion of rock goodness like no other, and as the KV Mob and the Doll Army roll off to the next date a small corner of North Wales has been well and truly rocked.