Wulfrun Hall was disappointingly under filled all night. Strange considering on show were Athlete , up and coming indie quartet starting to show they can fulfil their potential, and The Electric Soft Parade , who are responsible for one of the best albums this year, the mercury music award nomination Holes In The Wall. Maybe the pull of trick or treating was too much for some.Psychid resisted though, and to look at them they wouldn’t have been out of place wondering the streets tonight - their guitarist/samples/electronics man was wearing a lab coat throughout and not only that, they had an Uncle Fester look-alike in their midst. After their first song I began to wonder whether Psychid were average indie fodder facing pointless tours and releasing albums that no one bought, but luckily they showed a diversity lacking in many emerging bands. They played soft songs, they played dark, hard songs, and they played songs that could be singles flying into the top 40. This may be a long way off, but Psychid displayed plenty of ambition. Not one song sounded the same as the other (helped by having two lead singers), with influences ranging from Radiohead (well, doesn’t everybody sound like them?!), Muse-like grandeur and poppier Mansun (what a mix that is!). For a band supporting an established Electric Soft Parade in a reasonably sized venue, they sounded by no means out of their depth. Psychid were enthusiastic and energetic, but my only worry is, maybe they are a few years late in terms of their music. Still I would recommend checking out their new EP 'Split Lip Sucker' which was released on November 18th.

I would expect many people were going to make up their minds about Athlete tonight. Singles 'Westside', 'You Got The Style' and MTV2 regular 'Beautiful' (just what are you doing in that video lads?) have put them on the verge of the mainstream, but could they perform live? They open with 'Westside'. The crowd (slightly more full now) nod along intently and something is noticeable straight away. Athlete make great catchy, sing along songs that you can’t help but like. What’s more, Athlete are wearing the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen a band wear! Here is a band really enjoying and making the most of their newfound fame. It looks like they are happier than they could ever be whilst playing their songs. This makes Athlete great to watch. They realise they are onto something with their mix of Britpop, electronic wizardry and sometimes rocking madness. They play 'You Got The Style' after telling us 'we had a hit with this – it got to number 36 for a whole week!' which surely goes to show how criminal the charts are. By the time 'Beautiful' makes its appearance everyone has forgotten that Athlete are the SUPPORT band. Athlete complete their set by showcasing their new album which gives people wanting more than straight indie pop something to think about. The album will be an essential listen when it is finally released. Athlete inform us halfway through their set that they played Wolverhampton before and hated it, but after tonight they think its great. That’s nice, the crowd think you’re great too….awww!

So what a great night!...oh hang on! That’s not it yet is it? Oh yeah the Electric Soft Parade! I forgot about them! It seems so did a few people in Wolverhampton as the Wulfrun still wasn’t anywhere near its capacity. But the people who have turned up seem up for it tonight with most people trying to get closer to the stage. After the shuffles caused by people returning from the bar are over with, The Electric Soft Parade come on stage to a good reception. Now it is clear why most of the crowd are here – to see a band with amazing talent for brothers of 17 and 20. After such a welcome onto stage how are they going to open? Their loudest, most popular song to get the crowd jumping and going wild? Surely they will! Bizarrely they do a cover of 'Always On My Mind'! Hard to take in initially before most people are revealing their secret love for the Pet Shop Boys track. It’s a soft, gentle beginning which, obviously has to be followed by the rocking recent single 'Biting At the Soles of My Feet' (or 'Same Way Every Day' as the newer version is called). Already TESP have made their impact. Next is album track 'Things I’ve Done Before' and then fans favourite 'There’s A Silence' reveals many mad, jumping fans are present.

The next 3 songs ('Lose Your Frown', 'Stay Where You Are' and 'Hit The Ground Running') show that TESP are not going to be lazy with their next album – these songs reveal a bigger sounding band who seem to have become bitter, angrier and subsequently heavier in places. I hope nothing seriously upsetting is happening to TESP to cause this anger, but it is of benefit to us! Its exciting that already I find myself thinking that this second album can’t come quick enough, and they’ve barely been in popular view a year. 'Red Balloons', 'Holes In The Wall' album closer, brings us back to familiar territory, a song which I was never keen on before but live it’s a much more appealing song. 'Chaos' and 'Lights Out' continue to preview the new album and the night is passing by far too quickly when 'Start Again', album opener,…(oh how I wish it would!)... rocks like it does for 3 and a half minutes of more ESP pleasure before 'Empty At The End' sees more drunken jumping from the middle of the crowd. Then new album track 'Summer' closes...for now...yet another new song 'Broadcast' is played as part of the encore. And then one of the highlights of the night, what all ESP fans have been waiting for tonight, what many probably thought would be the opening song tonight – 'Silent To The Dark' – is belted out into Wulfrun Hall to send the crowd wilder than its been all night. The song ends with the band letting go big time on their instruments and then a sudden stop. The crowd goes wild hoping there’ll be more but we know there won’t be. I manage to get hold of the set list and I’m very happy and I realise that this is one of the best gigs I’ve been to.

Only now do I realise how much I enjoyed TESPs set, even though they played 7 new songs. The Electric Soft Parade are already one of Britain’s best new bands. Their second album can only establish them more.

Rocking or Shocking?
Rocking. 4/5. Electric!

Teamcooper