Selling out a tour without even having a record to buy in the UK is no mean feat. Most have heard of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah through the internet or by word of mouth. Some seem to have managed to import the band’s self titled debut from the States ahead of its release here early next year or found a way of downloading it. Nevertheless, this gig sold out weeks before tonight and the crowd of mainly students were expectant...

Having heard the album but not seen a picture of the band I’d sort of imagined a version of Arcade Fire but up shambled five very ordinary blokes who looked more like the local students that pop stars in waiting.

With a sound not a million miles away from early Talking Heads and vocal delivery to match a disturbed Tom Verlaine, frontman Alec Ounsworth warbled his way through most of the albums track with trademark yelps at appropriate points. With their singer looking somewhat “distant” for much of the night, brothers Lee and Tyler Sargent each flanked one end of the small stage ensured the songs bounced along, with multi-instrumentalist Robbie Guertin keeping the interest up. With tracks such as By the Skin of my Yellow Teeth, Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood and first single released soon in the UK, Is This Love? it won’t be long before the music buying public here will also be clapping their hands and communally saying Yeah to another fine band to emerge from this years bumper crop of new and interesting groups..

Pics courtesy of Mark “David Bailey” Price