NME Awards Tour 2010

The annual NME tour has served up some interesting combinations in the past, none more so than 2005's event which threw together The Killers, Bloc Party, The Futureheads and The Kaiser Chiefs, with each band at the top of their respective games in a way that has yet to be repeated. The same accusation could be levelled at successive line-ups, 2008's collection of one-hit wonders (The Ting Tings) and never has-beens (Joe Lean, Does It Offend You, Yeah?) proving particularly forgettable.

This year's collection might not look remarkable on paper but at least there's a hint of blossoming potential amongst the underachievers and general objects of hype. Take The Drums for example, fresh from New York's prestigious underground scene via Florida, their summery pop has already drawn comparisons with The Strokes, probably due to logistical similarities more than anything else, which is a little unfair as Jonathan Pierce can sing in tune for starters. In fact, those comparisons must also have been labelled by someone without a full compliment of ears too as their influences couldn't be further away from Casablancas and co. if they tried. New single 'Best Friends' is reminiscent of Orange Juice circa You Can't Hide Your Love Forever while the combined Smiths-isms of Pierce and guitarist Adam Kessler are a dissonant force on the likes of 'Make You Mine' and 'Saddest Summer'. Of course it's last year's debut 45 'Let's Go Surfing' that everyone is here for, and as with the majority of their set, it doesn't disappoint.

Neither, for that matter, do The Big Pink. In terms of performance at least. Sure, the picky among us (i.e. me) could probably have chosen a better setlist, album standouts 'Crystal Visions' and 'Count Backwards From Ten' finding themselves omitted in favour of lesser numbers 'Tonight' and 'At War With The Sun', probably due to the latter's more accessible, poppier overtones than the former's all out walls of sound. However, their half hour set steals the show from beginning to end, opener 'Too Young To Love' - appropriate for a large proportion of the 14+ crowd - setting the scene excitedly for the likes of 'Velvet' and 'Dominos' to follow in anthemic glee. While there's still a nagging fear that The Big Pink lack consistency not to mention charisma on stage, there's no doubting that they're a potent live force, and this evening the question on many people's lips centered on why they weren't higher up the bill.

Because without being overly disrespectful to Bombay Bicycle Club (main picture), it really is hard to fathom out why anyone could get over excited by this little lot. Sure, they've worked their way up from the toilets and provincial club nights but their workmanlike "indie" (God I HATE that description) is so bland it makes tearing strips out of one's plastic pint pot seem riveting by comparison. Musically they appear to be fairly taut, but without any interesting songs worthy of the name and no hint of stimulation or presence whatsoever, their run-of-the-mill repertoire serves as little more than magnolia tinged landfill.

If one band do deserve their status at the top of tonight's bill it's The Maccabees, having rightfully earned their place these past couple of years. Despite the early lukewarm reviews, there's no doubt Wall Of Arms grew into being one of 2009's most impressive records, not to mention inspired comebacks by a band many had initially dismissed as one-album-wonders. Not surprising then, that the majority of tonight's set is culled from said long player, and while there's no denying the likes of 'No Kind Words' and 'William Powers' display a subtle maturity you'd never have associated with The Maccabees around the time of Wall Of Arms' predecessor, the alarming lack of Colour It In's more distinguished pieces such as 'Latchmere' or 'Lego' cast a slight shadow over what is otherwise a fairly solid, if unremarkable performance.