I first heard The Busker play quite a few years ago, on its very first gig, in fact. Back then, the band was still a duo – Jean-Paul Borg and Dario Genovese – and it was opening for songstress Alex Alden (who, since then, has spread her talent away from these shores) at the still-mourned Coach & Horses. At the time, I remember thinking that the duo had a very intriguing sound and that it definitely showed promise.

Fast forward to today, and I’m happy to report that my band radar was spot on. Although The Busker has been giving semi-regular gigs throughout (including the reputedly crazy bus gigs, for which it is typically impossible to get a ticket like half a day after they are announced), I had not really seen the band in action, as it were, again after that first time.

Until, finally, the guys decided to hold a gig at a location that doesn’t come with four wheels and motion sickness – Django’s in Valletta, which is fast becoming the go-to venue for intimate gigs.

Sean Meachen

Since that one time I saw the band perform, changes have been afoot. Significant ones, too, as the band has grown from a duo to the fuller sound of a four-piece outfit, with Sean Meachen on the sax and harmonica and David Grech on double-bass joining Borg on drums and Genovese on vocals, leading to a much fuller effect.

The band’s sound, as I was about to discover, has also grown from the mellow, more ballad-like offerings that I heard years ago to a stronger rock’n’roll (with a touch of blues) style.

The result is a whole bundle of fun, because these guys can seriously rock. On this particular night they were joined by Mario Genovese (Dario’s father) on guitar and Matthew Pellicano on keys. Just in case, you know, you thought that the four of them alone could not make enough noise.

What the tracks all have in common is that they make you move... the gig came with a level of energy and panache that seriously makes you forget the super young age of the band members

A thought which is impossible to entertain, because each different component of this band displayed some rather spectacular musicianship and stage presence during the gig. These guys are loud in the best way possible. They’re having fun, they know their stuff and they have the self-confidence to be aware of this, which makes for a great night out for the audience.

For this gig, the guys played mostly their original material, with some classic rock’n’roll covers thrown in for good measure. The new material is powerful, bringing the typical sound of the genre with a bit of a more eclectic take. Run comes with an infectious riff and catchy chorus, really bringing out Borg’s and Grech’s talent; It’s All Right revealed a maturity and power in Genovese’s voice that belies his young years; Blues in A proved that country, when done well, doesn’t go out of fashion; Chest nut is fun, irreverent and another dance-floor killer. What the tracks all have in common is that they make you move. The Buskers don’t do the let’s stand still and chill’ kind of gig, and I’m not complaining.

The covers included Elvis numbers, Jake Bugg and Ricky Nelson, among others, as well as a snippet from David Bowie’s Starman, which obviously brought the house down. The delivery was straightforward, and usually accompanied by Genovese’s humorous comments, that I have to admit add to the fun of the proceedings, which is the whole point.

There was also a sweetly sentimental interlude, when the elder Genovese took centre-stage to perform one of his original works, which he was inspired to compose when he first met his wife-to-be. The track was accompanied by so much good-natured banter and audience participation that it’s impossible to write a sensible opinion about it, aside from the fact that a lot of fun was had by everyone present.

From the rest of the covers, The Busker’s interpretation of Elvis’s Hound Dog was probably the most memorable. It also killed any last bits of movement I had left in me.

This gig came with a level of energy and panache that seriously makes you forget the super young age of the band members. But energy and panache on their own are not enough. Sheer talent, technical prowess and tight musicianship are even more important and this band has them all in spades. A last word about Meachen: what that guy does with the saxophone is pretty darn mesmerising.

In short, get that 2016 debut album out pronto, sirs.