The Turbans
Islington Assembly Hall, London/Touring
★★★★★

THE TURBANS' eclectic mix of rock, classical, Gypsy riffs, spiritual Moroccan rhythms and klezmer Jewish folk is music they describe as from “manywhere” and they weave a celebratory patchwork of global community that transcends borders and separation in this great gig.

They're introduced as a “unified and progressive” band by Iranian-British comedian Omid Djalili, who jokes that among other things he was impressed by their price point when they played at his daughter’s wedding.

Among the members are classical violin player Darius Luke Thompson, a pioneer of Gypsy music in Britain and guitarist and vocalist Miroslav Morski — dressed in a glam-rock red suit and with a bleach-blond mop of hair (a wig?).

Although the band has roots in Turkey, Bulgaria, Israel, Iran, Greece and Spain — and spend half of the year in Goa — they have all lived in Hackney at some point in their lives and have a lyric-heavy dedication on their album to this multicultural epicentre.

As soon as they start playing, it's impossible not to move. Riders is an uplifting and fast-paced song in Greek about being footloose and fancy free and it gets most of the crowd, many sporting turbans in tribute, jumping around and shouting “Opa!”

Hackney is a story of belonging and, no matter where you originate from in the world, there’s always a friend wherever you turn. The singer asks of the east London borough: “How many languages do you speak? You have always been, like, university to me.”

But with a bump back to Earth and tongue firmly in cheek, he ends with “Always find friends in Hackney, always lock your bike in Hackney.”

Sinko Moy — My Son in Bulgarian — is a mournful tune with seriously addictive melodies about separation from family. It's written by Morski, who had to leave his family in Bulgaria when moving to London because of visa issues, while Samia is a charming ode to Morski’s wife in French.

He calls her his “pain au chocolat” and you feel the love in the lyrics. But it's in no way sickly sweet — his sharp, twanging electric guitar puts paid to any chance of that.

Hamouda, a song traditionally performed by Moroccan Gnawa musicians, is performed by guest band member Simo Lagnawi and it's a short and soothing, highly spiritual interlude characterised by trance-inducing riffs.

A great addition to what is an already electrifying band.

The Turbans are on tour nationally until June 8 and their debut album is available now from theturbans.co.uk