Miike Snow, HMV Forum

Shrouded by icy blasts of fog, Miike Snow bound onto the HMV Forum’s stage with the demeanour of men who have been waiting for this show in intense anticipation for quite some time.

Oozing personality and exuberance the band swiftly launch into ‘Cult Logic’, sending the crowd into hoards of swaying, jumping and bouncing individuals. Two rather exuberant youngsters in front begin hugging in a rather vigorous fashion, as if this opening number has generated an epiphany between the two friends, that only they share. That’s the beauty with Miike Snow, each song makes you feel special, as if an intimate memory is attached to each and every line.

Blurring the boundaries of a gig and a club night the band, obscured by fog and, for the first three songs, by rather intimidating white masks, bound through their debut album and the odd new track. Changing the tempo on a number of their songs to create a clubbier, dancier feel to the night, these fog-encrusted aficionados offer us a taste of something which their studio tracks just don’t give. However, the PA system leaves a lot to be desired, with the singer, the guitar and most of the keyboards being drowned out by the bass. This doesn’t seem to deter the masses of dedicated fans that are determined to dance until they dislocate at least one of their body parts, but it’s only fair that the sounds engineers get a slap on the wrists. A classic case of a great band brought down by a shoddy sound system.