The Holiday Plan

It's a testament to The Holiday Plan that King Tuts is more than half full by the time they take to the stage, and they're the first band on (supporting Jackson and Matchbook Romance).

A raucous run through of 'Projecting Power' kick-starts proceedings, as its high-octane Hot Water Music-isms and impassioned shouts ensure that even the uninterested, we're-really-only-here-to-see-that-guy-from-the-Foo Fighters oiks at the bar turn around. New single 'Wasting Time' shows off the 'Plan's ability to mix pop hooks with crunching =eMo= guitars, alongside a humongous Spinal Tap guitar solo, courtesy of the currently pink-haired and wonderfully named, Blue Quinn. Gloriously wholesome pop tunes like this should be all over the radio like flies on shit. Despite the audience knowing very little of the band's material, many bodies do start moving around, and for such a young band, THP seem to make all the right moves. Stage banter is humorous, involving, and not too lengthy; rock-star shapes are thrown left and right; and the shouty bits are in all the right places. It certainly shows someone's been reading the 'Rough Guide To Rock' handbook at night, proved by decent delivery and strong confidence in their ability as a band.

A backpack full of good tunes, such as 'Everyday Is Winter' and 'Combat', certainly give off the impression that The Holiday Plan could well be around for a while. Frontman and bassist, Matt Rider, later confesses that they "really shouldn't be headlining" on their forthcoming UK tour, but on the strength of performances like tonight, this bunch of East London tykes are more than capable of doing so.