Monday 26/02/07 The Young Knives, The Rumble Strips, Datarock, Foals @ Shepherds Bush Empire, London

When this year’s flurry of NME-hijacked gigs was announced, this one always looked a bit iffy…could the Ashby-de-la-Zouch trio really sell out the Empire? In the end, the answer is not quite, but why? In ‘Voices of Animals and Men’, they conjured up one the albums of last year, their singles fill dancefloors around town and they have developed into consummate live performers. Tickets available on the door or not, this is their chance to prove they can make the step up from main support to headliners.

Foals kick off proceedings with a short but very snappy set of jittery post-punk. At first they seem uneasy on a larger stage than they are used to, with singer Yannis standing side-on to the early arrivals and the rest of the group avoiding eye contact with the audience and each other. Quickly though, feet are tapping and the five-piece jerk and writhe like the victims of a horrific electrical fault. Those who elected to remain in the pub next door can only stand dumbfounded as to why everyone looks so sweaty at 7:45pm.

Datarock certainly have no intention of letting the party stop. But of course...dance beats, guitars, incongruous lyrics, this must be new rave! Resplendent in matching red hoods and dark sunglasses, they resemble a slightly more human Daft Punk. The playing is accomplished, the band charismatic in a freaky, robotic way and the songs are fun, if unspectacular. Then again, fun is all Datarock are about, a perfect example of a band you can enjoy if you suspend disbelief and pretensions for a moment and stop scrabbling around for new genres.