As TEED took to the stage, immediately the crowd belted an almighty roar, which never left the room as the DJ made his presence known. Having been to many great gigs at Koko, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs didn’t disappoint. The talented producer captured the room from the start and almost every track was met with a cheer. The venue, was literally heaving with excited fans jumping and dancing ecstatically to the beat of tracks from his debut album, 'Trouble'.

Dressed in a magnificent costume of scale armour, (which made for a pretty amazing opening outfit), transforming as the night progressed into a huge glittery lizard-like frill neck piece, which looked fantastic, if a little uncomfortable. The stage was a combination of giant lights, strobes and dancers, blasting streamers into the crowd. Playing track after track, he kept the crowd full of energy, dancing and cheering, which hit an almighty high when the hit ‘Garden’ came on, accompanied by a giant ball of lights floating across the crowd.

The sound was incredible and with the occasional involvement of bongo drums and synths, created the feel of an almost tribal ceremony, with the DJ surrounded by religious followers. Watching Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs was definitely more of an experience and a tribute to electro, making the show memorable. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, a mouthful to say and one hell of an electro performance.

Looking like he had been kitted out exclusively by Topman, lead singer Dougy Mandagi walked the stage with a confident swagger launching straight in to ‘London’s Burning’, to which the ridiculously rammed audience couldn’t help but get rowdy for. Still with his infectious effeminate vocal tone, Mandagi is easily one of the finest vocalists of the past few years - even if he is a tad underrated. Still able to perform live as well as he does on record, once the opening cut comes to a close the Aussie vocalist tells the crowd how good it is to be back performing in the UK and how he’s missed it, to which the reply is an almighty cheer.

After playing one of their more recognisable tunes in the form of ‘Love Lost’ the band went through a few of the newer tracks taken from their latest offering. Running through the likes of ‘The Sea Is Calling’, ‘This Isn’t Happiness’, and ‘Trembling Hands’, the introduction of the band’s new single ‘Rabbit Hole’ was met with jubilation. Already knowing the lyrics word for word, there were members of the audience quite literally barging through one another to sing the song back to the band.

Easily the most memorable segment from the evening, the band towards the end of their set played the closing three cuts from their debut album Conditions - ‘Science of Fear’, ‘Resurrection’, and ‘Drum Song.’ With the latter mentioned being the best example of pure showmanship - Mandagi could be seen pouring water on a huge bass drum and then banging it in time with the strobe lighting effect which gave it an almost music video look, every member of the group was doing something different to better their craft.

With the obvious encore being the band’s breakthrough hit ‘Sweet Disposition’, instead of just one closing record there were in fact three. While one, ‘I’m Gonna Wait’, was again a new composition, it was ‘Soldier On’ that left some members of the audience in a higher state of emotional consciousness. The way in which the band played it, and their front man sang it, dry eyes were more likely to be the minority on this occasion.

With everything mentioned above, as well as some rhythmically confined shuffles that were interpreted as dance moves, as well as some instrument throwing, The Temper Trap proved that they are not a band to be taken lightly. As far as live bands go... they are one of the best.

That moment where you become bored of the third album track in a row does not exist at Watch The Throne, a concert that plays out like a greatest hits of the last ten years of hip-hop.

Ostensibly, we're here to revel in the 2011 album Watch The Throne and, standing on two individual blocks raised twenty feet in the air in the middle of the O2 Arena as they perform the dramatic 'HAM', we're thrown straight into the luxury bravado of that joint album. 'Otis' is performed in front of a United States flag and constant blasts of red hot fire whilst 'Who Gon Stop Me' asks the question that can only be answered, 'Nobody'.

However, one album relatively thin on 'the hits' is not enough to fill a two hour plus arena show. Luckily, both men standing on the stage dripping in black and gold have more than enough in their respective lockers to keep things going.

Kanye shows why, amidst the media meltdowns and borderline parody personality, he remains one of the most fascinating musicians of his generation pulling out hit after hit after amazing hit from his back catalogue. It would be vulgar to list them all but then, that's kind of Kanye's deal, so let's say that 'Runaway', 'Golddigger', 'Touch The Sky', 'Power' and 'All Of The Lights' all send the sell-out audience wild.

Jay-Z has a fair few moments of his own to enjoy too with the Brooklyn don showing his superior flow and rap skills on 'Izzo (H.O.V.A.), 'On To The Next One' and 'Big Pimpin'. As 'Dirt Off Your Shoulder' scratches into life we're told "You are now tuned in to the mother f*cking greatest'. It is very hard to disagree.

Inevitably some form of competition is established, with each rapper juking for the definitive moment. It's difficult to seperate the two with West arguably having more in the way of hits but, at the same time, he still has nothing with quite the same power as, say, '99 Problems' or 'Empire State Of Mind'.

For an album, tour and concept that can be boiled down to a stunningly enjoyable celebration of vulgar wealth the set ends with 'N*ggas In Paris' played five times in a row. This should be ridiculous but every time Jay-Z shouts "Again!" the crowd go wild. You get the feeling, quite rightly, they'd stay here all night to keep the party going.

The line-up of Will Daunt (vocals & guitar), Iain Lock (bass), Dom Millard (keyboards), Henry Walton (guitar) and Guy Henderson (drums), have only performed a small selection of shows in the UK. However they were genuinely upbeat and excited, which helped wake up the mass of people in the hall. Keeping the crowd on a constant high throughout; the band performed well live and seemed confident in their performance.

Considering the constant rising temperature of the room, the band kept the attention of everyone well. The songs were pitch perfect and occasionally frontman Daunt would address the crowd with a plea to move nearer or what to expect from the next track they played. However, what can only be described as a sort of sporadic sweaty, sensual dance, from the lead singer, did have the crowd looking bemused.

The band performed most of their new album, including the crowd pleasers ‘We Should Be Swimming’ and ‘Let’s Move Back To Front’, which immediately had everyone cheering and singing along. The visual display aided the overall experience. Projected on the screen behind them were what seemed like an insight into a dark subconscious. With imagery that linked in well with the bands set yet didn’t distract from the performance.

The penultimate track played and was met with an almighty roar, as their lead single ‘Silver Tongue’ from their new album had been long awaited and abetted the crowd to forget how extremely hot the small hall was becoming.

Overall Zulu Winter’s performance at the Boston Arms in Tufnell Park was executed well. The live routine was almost flawless and the only criticism could be if they acknowledged the crowd a little bit more…. And perhaps better air conditioning.

Zulu Winter’s debut album ‘Language’ is now available on ITunes.

Below: Zulu Winter - 'Silver Tongue'

Watch: Scissor Sisters perform 'Lets Have A Kiki' at Shepherds Bush

A spectacular show, and if straight people aren't going to Scissor Sisters gigs - they should. They've got no idea what they're missing.

Below: Scissor Sisters live, Shepherds Bush Empire 16/05/2012

Laughing at the fact the bands guestlist was half of the entire XOYO capacity, Ditto spots old friends in the crowd throughout the show in the city she calls her 'home away from home'. Here in earnest to launch new album 'A Joyful Noise', it soon becomes apparent that tonight is all about having a good time.

That's not to say the new album is ignored, with new tracks 'Move In The Right Direction' and 'Melody Emergency' impressing early on. Elsewhere we are treated to recent single 'Perfect World' and the glam-house floor-filler 'Get Lost'. The new material goes down well but struggles to impress any real identity on an audience who clearly favour the 2006 album 'Standing In The Way Of Control'.

Aside from the obvious track (more on that later), it is 'Yr Mangled Heart' and 'Listen Up' that stand out tonight. Both pack a genuine punch with the huge soul influence that never distracts from the wild punk edge both songs are laced with. It is a shame that the band have rounded off these edges in recent years, as displayed by the lacklustre material from 2010's 'Music For Men' album played tonight.

It seems harsh to call Gossip a one-hit wonder and to many who have followed the band for over ten years they are anything but, although it is also hard to believe they will ever top 'Standing In The Way Of Control' either. Joking that "it is the only song people actually know" Beth and co. clearly know this too and it's not hard to see why as the disco-diva stomp that is *that* song clatters and flashes for three brilliant minutes, overshadowing nearly everything else played this evening.

Reminding your fans of former glories at the launch of a new release should be bad form but somehow Gossip just about pull it off.

Below: Icona Pop live gallery

Fun. have had the highest selling single of the year in the US (six weeks at No. 1), and managed to hit No. 3 here in the UK. They have become massive. Yet, here they are at London’s XOYO, a grimy, little basement club in East London (note: not a particularly suitable location for the troupe of screaming young girls). Nonetheless, Fun. look very pleased to be here at what they tenuously call their “homecoming show”, and wholeheartedly make the most of XOYO’s intimacy, fully aware of the fact they’ll probably never have to play a venue like this again.

Officially a trio, the indie pop band have tonight expanded to a six-piece, with the multi- instrumentalists generating a grandiose sound of pop-perfection. Kicking off with newbie ‘One Foot’, they run through an hour-long set that cherry-picks almost equally from both their underappreciated rock debut (‘Aim and Ignition’) and their overhyped, pop follow-up (‘Some Nights’).

It’s unsurprising that Fun.’s brand of theatrical pop-rock has been compared to Queen, with news tracks like the stings-laden ‘Carry On’ and snare-heavy highlight ‘Some Nights’ incorporating Brian May-esque guitar noodlings alongside melodic piano parts and stadium- ready vocal harmonies. However, old songs like the lively ‘Walking The Dog’ and ska punk- tinted ‘At Least I'm Not as Sad (As I Used to Be)’ have a pop-punk tone more inline with Fall Out Boy, Paramore and Panic! At The Disco.

Naturally, the greatest crowd reaction comes from mega-single ‘We Are Young’, which best showcases their new direction: dance-music laced, anthemic pop. Yet Fun. look happiest when performing ‘Take Your Time (Coming Home)’ as their encore, with Ruess draped in a fan’s union jack (with ‘FUN.’ scribbled onto it) whilst bellowing out his finest vocal performance of the night – fittingly pompous, but perhaps they fall into the Jimmy Eat World trap of relying too heavily, and too often, on whoah-ohs and nanas.

All in all, an electrifying event. Fun. have it all: the charisma and accomplished musicianship, the songs, the rock energy, and one of the best voices on the current music scene. However, upon leaving XOYO there was an underlying negative feeling, as if something wasn’t quite right, as if it was too perfect. It all felt too clean and tidy. Their move from the largely ignored pop-punk of their rockier debut to the mainstream pop of their synthier sophomore has a whiff of something unbecoming, and it’s all a little unnervingly intentional.

That’s right, the X Factor contestant from a series or so ago sandwiched in between bands that will be running through the hype machine as we speak. What was he doing there? Would he deliver? My curiosity was at an all time high. I had to know. But he didn’t show. No explanation – just confused photographers and journalists asking each other if that was him and pointing to the stage. A last minute venue change is the guilty party. Apologies to all. A bitter pill to swallow on my final day but I’m a professional and the show must go on. Enjoy my round up of three bands that most certainly did show up, below.

New Look: Hailing from Canada, this romantically entwined electro double have been grabbing more than their fair share of virtual column inches of late. And while their music does most of the talking, it clearly doesn’t hurt that Sarah Ruba also finds work as a model on the side. It definitely helped quiet a crowd that was forced to wait half hour for their set anyway. When they eventually did start to play it was Ruba who, unsurprisingly, stole the show. Stunning vocals delivered over Adam Pavao’s soundscapes ensured a set that was free of any issues. Although, perhaps, strangely, that was my only issue. It was all very nice but a little too polished for a dark Brighton sweatbox. The eternal optimist, I’m always willing to give someone another chance and I’ll be digging a little deeper in the coming weeks. And listening to more than the FOUR tracks they ended up playing during their perilously short set.

Perfume Genius: Now onto more familiar ground. Perfume Genius is part of the TriAngle Records stable which is forging its own style of subverted pop across the industry and in doing so developing a reputation for being worthy of note. And, with a gig scheduled to play at the cavernous St. Mary’s church – this was certainly not one to be missed. Lush sonic walls filled the huge space and created an almost visceral experience. The undoubted highlight of the festival. The acoustics in a building like that are incredible – a tool to be utilised if the music you’re creating is up to the challenge. Perfume Genius most certainly was.

DZ Deathrays: And now onto the final review. And it couldn’t be further from the eerie, service just witnessed. DZ Deathrays, an Australian punk band, are starting to make a real racket – with the right people taking notice. The amount of noise the two- man outfit create is astonishing. The mosh pit quickly appears at Horatio’s bar – the tired looking venue that sits at the end of Brighton pier – as the whole structure is shook to its foundations. Thinking my eyes couldn’t get any wider, the drummer suddenly deserts his post and jumps into the crowd. When in Rome I suppose. The place goes ballistic. What a set. What a name. DZ Deathrays – the perfect way to end a great weekend.

As I sum up the events of Friday at Brighton’s Great Escape, I’m only too glad that as I write these words, I sit within the comfortable confines of a bricks and mortar sanctuary and not the hollow gesture of a tarpaulin construction. Below you will find the results of my findings – three bands, that have started to make a bit of a name for themselves, dissected and taken apart by yours truly. I hope, for both of our sakes, that you enjoy it.

Weird Dreams: After collecting my pass – and walking past (Sir) Michael Eavis – we head to the Weird Dreams set. A deliberate mesh of California style surf with more subversive grungy undertones, they reveal their darker side in moments of clarity – solo glimpses when it seems as if they’re trying to subvert the more obvious style which they’ve developed. A monster hiding just beneath the surf, rearing its ugly head as the tide rolls back in. Imagine if Seattle didn’t make people so angry and Sub Pop had found its home further south. Weird Dreams could be part of that universe. By no means polished – and with an album out this year – they’re certainly one to keep an eye on.

Alt-J: This is the one I’ve been looking forward to. And it delivers – sort of. Having heard Alt-J’s debut album last month (one of my records of the year thus far in case you’re wondering) I was expecting big, BIG things. They are a distortion of any linear indie format that we’ve come to expect. Basically, they incorporate bone shakingly heavy drops into their tracks. If you can name one thing that isn’t – or wouldn’t be – improved by a huge bass assault then please get in touch, I couldn’t name one. However, for all the excitement surrounding them – support slots with Ghostpoet, exciting videos for the brilliant single ‘Breeze Blocks’ – something lacks. I’m putting it down to what could have been a better acoustic set up but it missed an injection of venom which courses through the veins of their debut LP like a Black Mamba. However, they are touring through the rest of the year where they will have more control over their sonic endeavours. Watch the video for ‘Breeze Blocks’ here and you’ll know exactly what I mean.

Django Django: And here it is. The main event and possibly the buzz band of 2012. After releasing stand out track ‘Storm’ from their debut album late last April, Django Django have become industry darlings – a run which has included, amongst other things, a spot on the much-feted Jools Holland show. They now sit amongst the leading lights of the hype machine’s most prestigious acts. And are the band by which all other new acts are currently in battle with. They are also the reason why the queue for the Blind Tiger runs right around the block. At least, that was how far it looked to me. I wasn’t allowed to go outside for a cigarette before the show. Held hostage by hype was new but I still lapped it up. Musical Stockholm syndrome is a curious thing. I hope you’re happy Django Django. I was – they stole the show. Fully justifying the words of so many. If you haven’t already, then try and see this band as soon as possible.

She’s followed on stage by James and Rab of Glasvegas, who perform a short set of songs using just acoustic and electric guitar, including a slowed down version of familiar chant-a-long ‘Geraldine’ with a country and western lilt that suits it well. ‘Daddy’s Gone’ is as affecting as ever and, as it’s delivered, through the glass wall behind the stage, a long boat hosting a wedding party can be seen floating along the loch, creating a weird juxtaposition with the tortured lyric.

Sufficiently roused, we’re soon up on our feet, heading to The Wheel Barrow for a spot of Johnny Foreigner. The band have released three albums worth of perfectly imperfect, precociously messy guitar pop now, and deserve a little more recognition than they’ve had since the initial hype of their first releases. It seems to be getting to them. Alexei introduces ‘Salt, Peppa and Spinderella’ as “a song from when we used to be famous” with more than a hint of bitterness. When they’re actually playing, though, the irrepressible energy they’re known for is still vitally present, bringing to life both the old and new material.

Needing a breather after the stifling crush of such an intimate venue, we meander out into the overcast day. As we pass Camden Gardens we hear Crossfaith doing their thing and, it has to be said, they were probably the best example of a Japanese metal-techno fusion band we heard all day - which is saying something...

After a making few regrettable decisions with regards to the quickest way to a cash machine and the best way to feed ourselves with said cash, Gigwise manages to fight off indigestion and reach KOKO in time for Niki and The Dove, which is fortunate because they’re incredibly good.

The high drama created by the layered percussion and electronics give a context to Malin Dahlstrom’s ethereal vocals that make comparisons with Bjork and Kate Bush almost inevitable. However, underneath it all, the band is centred on their instinctual ability to create pure, unadulterated pop joy, and they owe an important debt to the lighter side of the 80’s. Putting aside colossal soundscapes for a hypothetical moment, they could take easily take on the likes on Cyndi Lauper at her own game and consistently win. Their debut album is out this week and, we can confirm, it is brilliant.

We round off the festival with a run of three acts at the Jazz Cafe. First Lady Leeshur entertains us, spitting syllables at such a rate, you’d need significantly more than your naturally allotted compliment of ears to catch them all. She’s followed by the staggeringly good, Micachu and The Shapes.

The brainchild of classically trained experimental musician, Mica Levi, the group deliver short blasts left field, lo-fi genius. Clever, but never contrived, the music is puzzling, enthralling and maddeningly enjoyable. Nothing is predictable but everything feels natural (even with train tickets stuck between the guitar strings). The drums are primal and precise, the guitar playing is expertly naive (generally utilising no more than two fingers at a time to bring utterly original compositions out of the weirdly tuned instrument) whilst the keys set everything off perfectly. Their next album is out in July, and the wait will be agonizing.

If that weren’t enough, veritable post-punk legends The Raincoats are up next. The band that proved such an important inspiration to Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain and countless others bring the festival to a heart warming close. Opening with their amazing 1982 single ‘No One’s Little Girl’ the band embark on a set showcasing the inventiveness that makes them so special. The tempo changes and dissonant strings from Anne Wood in ‘Shouting Out Loud’ are a particular highlight, but throughout Gina Birch’s bass playing, which has intonations of reggae and funk to set off its more direct attacking lines, provides the perfect foil for Ana Da Silva’s biting guitar.

Seeing such a legendary act playing straight after one of the most impressive young groups in the country ensures the weekend ends on a high that even the prospect of the night bus relay home can’t diminish.

Linn Öberg and her band kick things off in gorgeously laid back fashion before the inimitable Tim Ten Yen takes the stage. With his cheap suit, omni-directional hair and various stuffed animal helpers, he gives the impression of a geography teacher pushed past mental breaking point by lippy year nines, especially when he dances. His music, however, bares the hallmarks of a pop genius in the mould of Gruff Rhys.

Left in the mood for a bit of fresh air and something a touch more brutal, we head down to the Camden Gardens where, under a railway arch, we find Leeds based upstarts Marmozets kicking the shit out of as many time signatures and hardcore-sub genres as possible in the space of their set time, much to the delight/utter terror of passing pedestrians.

Heading along the canal back towards the loch, it’s clear that the weekend’s increased police numbers have been matched by an increased level of tolerance, with public drinkers given a smiling wag of the finger at worst. After some waterside dining in the company of an insane European couple (clearly in the thrall of “un petit vodka”) we head to the Barfly for Keep Shelley in Athens.

Often compared favourably with groups such as Saint Etienne, this Greek band take sounds familiar from dance music and give them such a melancholy twist that listening feels like recollecting a night out gone horribly wrong, with everything slowed down and shot through with charged emotion. Sarah’s vocals have a similar haunting aspect to those of Zola Jesus, soaring above hazy looped backing tracks and dream-pop guitars, whilst propulsive double bass lends some brawn to the otherwise bitter-sweet, blissed out proceedings .

We drift out of the venue and manage to shake off the impact of the set on the long(ish) trudge towards Mornington Crescent and the opulent settings of KOKO where, if they were still needed, Eugene McGuiness and his band are on hand with the smelling salts to bring us out of our stupor. Presenting a stage persona somewhere between Liam Gallagher and The Fonz, Eugene delivers material that, whilst more focused than his early work, is still brimming with ideas.

Across the road at the decidedly more intimate Purple Turtle, we’re disappointed to find Clock Opera have dropped out of their slot. They’re replaced by fiN, whose sharp, tight attacks are worlds apart from the patient swells of the group they’re in for. Nevertheless, it’s immediately obvious why they’ve garnered their dedicated following.

We arrive back at KOKO just in time to see The Big Pink taking the stage. From our vantage point on the balcony we watch Robbie, Milo and company deliver their stock combination of noisy guitars, big beats and anthemic choruses. Unlike the live shows that followed the release of their debut, they’re no longer using live bass, and have instead added additional keys. It serves the material from their 'Future This' album well, and the group are still clearly feeling the excitement of airing relatively new material live. Even when a half-full pint whistles passed his ear, Robbie can’t help but bounce to the swaggering Hit The Ground.

That said, predictably, it’s old favourite 'Dominos' that gets the biggest reaction from the crowd. As he slashes through the song’s effect-heavy chords, the mirrored scratch plate on Furze’s guitar beams a reflected searchlight into the crowd, picking out fans bouncing with arms linked wherever it strays...

We round off the night by heading all the way across town, weaving through the stable-bound Saturday night human traffic with an efficiency that only comes with knowing that, in your absence, a low capacity venue is all ready filling up. The Enterprise is the destination in question, playing host to Bastille, who, unable to fit on the tiny stage, spill out into the crowd, further adding to the crush.

Their set’s mixture of electronic and acoustic percussion, and its combination of piano tones with harsher synth sounds creates a compelling dynamic between the warmth of the songs, and something deliberately cold and distant in their delivery. New single 'Overjoyed' is a great example (as well as a good entry for least apt song title of the year ) being both mournful and danceable, something like a heartbroken Friendly Fires.

They certainly succeeded in staging a brilliant performance that had a bit of everything from rock, indie, folk, acoustic, horns, piano and much more. The Ally Pally audience quickly forget about being forced to queue outside in the April showers when the London four- piece were unveiled dramatically from a translucent sheet as they kicked into gear with opening track 'How Can you Swallow So Much Sleep?'

As BBC have produced an album almost every year since they emerged in 2008, they already have a whole host of songs to choose from to make up an impressive setlist. Tonight's choice of songs shows off just how many strings the band have to their bow, especially when halfway through, they strip things down to play a couple of acoustic numbers. Not only was this extremely refreshing, but the songs 'Rinse Me Down' and 'Ivy & Gold' were two of several fan favourites that had everybody moving.

Showcasing their varied talents didn’t end there, as frontman Jack Steadman, who was swapping instruments throughout the show, gave a solo piano performance of 'Still', which prompted a few raised lighters and mobile phones. Not wanting to miss out on impressing the audience, drummer Suren de Saram was under the spotlight when another drum was carried onstage which he incorporated into a catchy solo.

Solo artist Lucy Rose joined the boys for several of their biggest numbers including 'Lights Out, Words Gone' and added another dimension to Steadman’s unique vocals. Steadman and his gang were clearly honoured to be there as the historic venue is so close to where they all grew up and met each other. "One of the first pictures of us as a band was taken on Jamie’s roof and you can see this place in the background," said Steadman.

Just before the encore BBC had the whole of Ally Pally bouncing to 'Always Like This', their flagship single that shot them into the indie public's eye with its jittery hook and sing-a-long chorus.

If this wasn't enough, they returned onstage jumping around to their most recent hit single, 'Shuffle', which induced a real party atmosphere in the crowd before thanking everyone for turning up and finishing with 'What If?'

Bombay Bicycle Club are a band with many different talents as they have shown by releasing both electric and acoustic albums. They are clearly not scared to push themselves and to keep learning more about their craft. If they can continue in this vein, then they are going to be a force to be reckoned with.

We Are The In Crowd are supported by Boston bunch - Super Prime, who infuse everything that a typical pop punk band should, the cover of Fall Out Boy - 'Sugar We’re Going Down' is a massive hit with the crowd tonight and prepares this band to be the next big thing! They’re the sugar that makes the kids tonight bounce off the walls.

Also on support duties are The Summer Set who master a unique sound that makes the band near to impossible to compare with any other. They start with an intense introduction to 'Punch Drunk Love' with the energy of cute, excited puppies but they have this addictive, happy-go lucky charm to them that all music stations across the pond require. Brian promises 'everything is just fine' as they burst into 'Someone Like You' but watching The Summer Set it’s clear that they are more than your average radio pop band and they put every drop of sweat into their performance tonight.

We Are The In Crowd light up the stage like a match as they open up with 'Rumour Mill', a definite crowd pleaser and one of the band's stand out tracks from of their album Best Intensions. The set follows a continuous string of fun blasts shot out from a small front woman with a big voice; Tay showcases her fresh, melodic singing power at its absolute best during 'You’ve Got It Made'. Anybody that doubted female fronted bands have certainly met their match here at Islington Academy. Whilst their set resembles a shaken bottle of pop that explodes the more they get into it, they prove that any of those big bands they previously supported need to make way for this fresh lot because anything they can do We Are The In Crowd can do better.

Brian from The Summer Set joins the five piece for new single 'Kiss Me' before ending the extremely pop-punk night with 'Both Sides Of The Story' from a band that have made the best possible impression and gives way to much excitement at the prospect of future headlining shows from We Are The In Crowd.

Hosted by XFM, the audience were reminded that the performance was being recorded with the intention to be played on air later in the week. With that said, the jam packed room seemed very lively, even during the non-performance intermissions. With banter loud, and anticipation in abundance, Coombes’ entrance on to the stage generated a mini frenzy not usually reserved for someone who’s been out of the spotlight for as long as he has.

Donned in a bright red zipped up jacket, complete with his trademark overgrown haircut, he and his band - The Bombs, stood firm whilst a sample track, which can only be described as a spawn of the Dubstep genre, set the scene for a very eclectic 45 minutes of music.

Switching in and out of styles - indie, rock, and electro to name but a few, the tone of the evening seemed to match that of the futuristic 80’s sci-fi percussion arrangement that was sometimes played by the band’s drummer, and other times programmed in to the sample machine. It was without question pretty epic at times. Whether you adopted a relaxed state of mind when witness to some unsystematic bell chimes and calming vocal echoes, or a more heavy duty and highly aggressive overview, which seemed to work when certain tracks were played, you were definitely left wondering if you were a part of a theatrical score.

Atmospherically thoughtful, and a far cry from what many of the crowed seemed to be expecting, tracks such as ‘Universal Cinema’ displayed Coombes’ ability to be an artist and work with his current inspirations. Who cares whether or not it sounds like Supergrass? Nobody in the crowed on this particular evening did. A true artist enjoys what they are doing and feeds off of the creative talent that they’ve been gifted with.

With a few jokes and comments made here and there - “I’m still trying to re-learn a lot of these chords so bare with me,” the actual interaction with the audience was pretty minimal. The man commanding everyone’s attention seemed to be having fun. Random facial expressions, a few strides to the left and right, as well as strumming his ass off, the performance was an enjoyable one.

While the new material might be like Marmite to some, those swinging more towards the hate it side of the campaign need to see him live in action. They might just then start putting it on their toast and calling it delicious.