After first support The Wallbirds, North Yorkshire's One Night Only get the party properly started, racing through a half hour set of keyboard-infused guitar pop.
And while it's indie in the same vein as the brilliant Maccabees or, come to that, the Pigeon Detectives, One Night Only have a definite identity and sound of their own. They can also write a decent tune (though if you ask me, their first single You and Me is far weaker than the sparkling It's About Time or live favourite Just For Tonight). Most importantly though, Tuesday's performance is carried off with the exuberance and energy to make them a really enjoyable live act and earns them a pretty big cheer.
With recent TV appearances on both BBC3's Sound and C4s Transmission and a strong Internet fan base, they are definitely one to watch for 2008.
There is however no doubt that the night belongs to the Pigeon Detectives. The past year has seen them shoot to minor stardom, with debut album Wait For Me going straight in at No. 3 in the charts, and a string of great singles apparently welded into radio playlists across the country.
If the temperature inside the new(ish) Oxford Carling Academy (what we all know as the Zodiac) is anything to go by, anticipation is at fever pitch.
"What've you been doing in here Oxford? It's like an oven," quips frontman Matthew Bowman as the band takes the stage to a wall of applause.
They kick off with the ridiculously catchy I Found Out, and continue at about 110mph, silhouetted against a blaze of lights and smoke throughout the set. The amazing thing is just how many quality songs the Pigeon Detectives have up their sleeves, and it's hats off to them as a live act that they manage to get skinny-jeaned indie kids and middle-aged mothers (mine in particular) alike jumping up and down.
Come closing number I'm Not Sorry no one cares that it really is stupidly hot, or that two pints has cost us an arm and a leg. We're just glad to have been there.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article