Lost Alone single launch party

Whisper it quietly on the streets of Nottingham, but there is something of a revolution happening fifteen miles west along the A52. Not exactly enamoured with a rock and roll tradition, Derby is currently going through something of a renaissance - and no, I'm not talking about the trance club that took up residence there during the mid 90s - the tremor from which has already been felt around the rest of the region. Expect it to arrive in London around about... now, I expect.

This time last year, The Strand Arcade were a rabid monster enclosed in a shell-like cocoon: the talent was always evident, even if their self-confidence may not have been. Now, Gorgon has been unleashed and on any other day, amidst any other line-up, they would steal the show within ten minutes. Whilst some of their influences are omnipresent - their hearts are compounded with the classic songwriting spiel of Britpop both past and present - there's also a burgeoning energy that carries them down a road only established rock giants like U2 dare to tread. 'Get Knives' is the colossus which should stand them in good stead, while the likes of 'Leapfrog' and set closer 'Fisticuffs' show a more conjectured viewpoint as to where they're heading in the future. The one thing everyone in the room agrees on is that they won't be propping up bills for much longer.

For Beats Capri, it really is a case of now or never, as their fractured, angular, artsy punk-flavoured pop seems as ripe for the taking as it will ever be. With the addition of singer Joanne O'Neill's brother James on guitar, there is a more urgent, wholesome feel to their occasionally layered sound, which in turn releases an unexpected beast into the mix. Those that have seen them before recognise all but one song, the sole newie played this evening ('Tattooed By You'), and although the PJ Harvey/Siouxsie/Ikara Colt comparisons still loom over them like a raging spectre of devilish fear, they waltz through their slot with the panache of accomplished veterans. The only criticism is that, on occasions, things do sound a bit samey. Still, with a possible single deal with Label Fandango on the cards, the next chapter in the story of Beats Capri seems mapped out.

Headliners Lost Alone_ (pictured)_ have some pretty hard acts to follow, but as far as frontman Steven Battelle is concerned, their time is now and nothing in the world is going to get in the way. Having taken numerous knocks and setbacks with previous ensemble Intentions Of An Asteroid, Battelle seems more determined than ever to ensure Lost Alone succeed where his last venture disappeared into obscurity before dissolving entirely.

Fresh from a tour with ex-Skunk Anansie singer Skin, it seems some of her confidence and verve has rubbed off on Battelle, as for 40 minutes the main hall of the First Floor doubles as Wembley Stadium so far as the hyperactive frontman is concerned. When he's not engaging in a spot of arms-aloft handclapping - which cascades itself all the way to the back of the hall and ends up recreating the video from 'Radio Ga Ga' - during the impeccable 'Blood Is Sharp', he's writhing around the floor, guitar in hand, conjuring up images of a younger Matt Bellamy. In a set full of highs it's difficult to pluck a single low, such is the captivating brevity of Lost Alone - the pulsating 'Silence', the dynamic Pixies-go-Detroit 'Unleash The Sands Of Time' and the tumultuous roar of 'Elysium' were all obviously written with arena-sized venues in mind. By the time Battelle closes his performance with a revealing cry of "I've got this feeling of satisfaction!" during 'Honey And Burlesque', few are able to put up a substantiating argument against the overall consensus that stadiums are surely where Lost Alone are heading.