Wednesday 12/04/06 Snow Patrol, The Spinto Band @ KOKO, London

During Coldplay’s lengthy hiatus to record ‘X & Y’ there emerged a slew of bands that, if we’re being charitable, felt inspired enough by ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’s potent blend of pianos, yearning vocals and communal choruses to get out and make their own music. Though if we’re being cynical, record companies saw a gap in the market and thought “Money, we like it’s smell…” So you had the likes of Thirteen Senses (vaguely political, zero record sales!), Keane (look, no guitars!) and Embrace (Martin who?!), all vying for the coveted ‘Music for BBC Sport Highlights’ slot. And there, somewhere in the middle, were arguably the most, er, interesting of the lot: Snow Patrol. Perennial indie-underachievers with a neat line in quirky, lovably scruffed albums one minute; the nation’s favourite new lighters-aloft band the next, they’ve had a remarkable last few years by anyone’s standards. Their long-awaited comeback begins tonight.

First though there’s the small matter of Delaware six-piece The Spinto Band. Having not even been aware that there was a support band tonight, their appearance is as revelatory as the end of ‘The Usual Suspects’ and as welcome as an early, over-sized paycheck (note: we still don’t understand that film, and our wages are peanuts). Sounding like Weezer’s ‘Blue Album’ had it been recorded by six lovestruck, instrument-swapping siblings (there are two sets of brothers in the band) with a habit of dancing like the extras from ‘Team America’, The Spinto Band are, along with the new Flaming Lips album being played over the P.A tonight, one of the best things we’ve heard all year, and come so so close to stealing the show. If we were in a band this good, every day of our lives would be better than the last.