Pop eccentrics Guillemots were the latest act to turn in a stunning performance at Q’s Music Club Live at London’s exclusive The Hospital Club on 23 April.

In front of an intimate audience of fans and lucky competition winners, the eclectic quartet arrived onstage in typically unusual manner. Rather than take up their usual posts, frontman Fyfe Dangerfield, sporting natty cardigan, was joined at his piano by both bassist Aristabel Hawkes and guitarist MC Lord Magrao. As the trio launched into the opening keys of Kriss Kross, from current album Red, they were abruptly interrupted by Dangerfield announcing “I fucked it up!” No such hiccups on the second attempt, and the tone was set for an evening of spontaneity and adventure. Introducing album track Don’t Look Down, Dangerfield pondered whether to use his harmonica, then promptly dropped it into the open grand piano crying out “Ah, fuck!”.

Highlight of the evening was a surprise rendition of Seabirds, the track penned exclusively for Q in just 24 hours (as featured in Q262 and available on this -very website-). Introducing the song, Dangerfield nervously revealed they had never actually played it before. A dreamy, uplifting composition (alas, minus the magazine-flapping sound effects of the original), they pulled it off with ease. Cue audience frenzy as a storming rendition of Trains From Brazil followed, from Mercury-nominated debut Through The Windowpane.

You’ll be able to hear highlights from Guillemots’ Q The Music performance on Q Radio. Listen to Q Radio at Freeview 716, Virgin Media 878, Sky Digital Channel 0181. You can also stream Q Radio here at Q4music.com

Listen to the song the band wrote and recorded exclusively for Q here.