ZABRINSKI showed-off in style underneath the Super Furry Animals in the CIA last month.

The local lads opened for SFA and Goldie Lookin' Chain with their psychedelic romps and heavy indie.

Revelling in the thud of the Furries' impressive sound system, they had never sounded so good.

Their Hawkwind-like charges into hyber-space drew appreciative cheers as did their song-based numbers.

Like the GLC, Zabrinski are eight men strong, so they easily filled Cardiff International Arena's sizeable stage.

Their rock'n'roll core of drums (Phill), guitar (Burger) and bass (Emyr) is supplemented with the electronic flesh of keys (Robin), pure electronics/live production (Pwyll) and samples (Iwan).

The songs are written by Robin and the band's frontman Matthew Durbridge but improvisation by all band members and chance play a big part in the finished item.

Matthew, who was very nearly a successful racehorse jockey, says: "Whenever we do practise or turn up for a gig, I get a positive melody in my head within about three seconds of a song being written, and I can't get rid of it.

"So I just start making anything up, and it changes from gig to gig. They can be the most ridiculously indecipherable rubbish ever."

They also improvise live, making for long, rambling sets which sets them apart from the three-and-a-half-minute song norm.

Such moments are their obvious strengths. Quite often their indie songs are weak, affected affairs.

They took their name, loosely, from the appropriately weird, and partly Pink Floyd-soundtracked film, Zabriskie Point.

On Friday, May 21, they're at the Toucan, Cardiff. Dial 029 2037 2212 or surf to www.toucanclub.co.uk.