Foals

Another day another buzz band comes to town, although at least it seems some of the hype around tonight's headliners is justified. Or maybe the warm Easter sunshine has gone to DiS's heads and we're feeling a tad generous?

First things first, however, and in this case first on is a bloke from Esher called Nigel who makes music that sounds like Jamie T pilfering Napoleon IIIrd's beats for what seems to be known as ‘street poetry’ these days. Going by the name of Somebody, although the initial feeling is one of déjà vu, his short set is actually quite charming and turns out to be a pleasant-enough introduction to this evening's proceedings.

But what is it with the current fad for using old, knackered equipment, most notably of the keyboard variety? It's not big, it's not clever, and it doesn't enhance a band's quality one bit, particularly when there are no interesting songs of note in the first place. Sure, Post War Years seem an affable bunch, but their grinding new-wave-cum-disco seems to be six parts Cold War Kids and four parts The Rapture, without possessing the intensity or urgency of either. Still, they're only young I suppose. Time is on their side.

Youth, and a youthful playfulness, is something that Foals have at the moment, and they have used constructively to their advantage over the past few months.

There are moments when one doesn't know if the song they're currently playing is going to erupt into an explosion of visceral guitar improvisation a la GY!BE, or turn into the next 'House Of Jealous Lovers' whilst exchanging telephone numbers with Bloc Party along the way. In fact, this is possibly the main reason why Foals are so damn captivating at present, and yet by the same token why they can occasionally have their audiences in bouts of frustration. This is especially apparent when the band seem unsure themselves, at one point, as to what they're trying to achieve.

What is blatantly obvious, however, is that tonight's crowd absolutely adores them - mess-ups and all - and the frenetic, occasionally chaotic and unstable relationship between band and audience never subsides from the first chord to the last note they play. Sometimes it really is hard to tell the songs apart, although current single 'Hummer' seems to herald a defining moment for the band both in terms of stature and sound, but at least they're trying to make a difference without being too smart (and inaccessible) for their own ends.

One thing's for certain: with Foals’ musical sphere subject to constant change, whatever they do and wherever they go next is sure to be one hell of an erratic-but-exciting adventure.