The New Pornographers

A few songs into The New Pornographers' sole UK date on a wee fling of a tour around Europe to promote their disappointing fourth album Challengers, lead singer AC Newman admits he and his gang of Canadian indie triumphalists are a bit on the tired side. “We're doing, like, four countries in four days – which can fuck you up more than any drugs.” He's not complaining mind, but it does go to explain the New P's slightly subdued on-stage presence.

The touring Pornographers line-up features Newman, Blaine Thurier on keys/guitar, Kathryn Calder on piano, Todd Fancey on guitars and Kurt Dahle, and the five of them – who make up the bulk of the Canadians’ studio band – are sadly lacking their usual urgency here.

Perhaps locations don't help. DiS is, due to a lack of good leaning space in the steep cathedral of the old Camden Palace, on the fourth of five balconies up. It's a great view but we're almost looking straight down on proceedings. Tracks from Challengers and older albums jog along to a semi-muted reaction, but things brighten up considerably as we sprint onwards the end of the set. ‘The Spirit of Giving’, with its_ “St Christopher and Johanna”_ refrain, has the audience's sweaty palm mutating from muted grip to spirited clapping. Goodness! And then the lovely 'Spanish Techno' is wheeled out like a slightly eccentric old uncle to entertain the Camden crowd before bedtime. Oh, how they dance.

If it wasn’t a cold autumn night in a soggy Camden with a shattered band we could have been in for a treat. It’s a shame Newman and Co’s power-pop proves to be not quite hot enough to warm us up this time around.