Two Door Cinema Club, Guildhall, Southampton

Tonight sees 2000 fans packed in to Southampton Guildhall eagerly anticipating Two Door Cinema Club, playing on their first full UK tour following the release of second album, ‘Beacon’, last August. Warming up the expectant crowd are the hotly-tipped Bastille, who seem to go down a treat. By playing to both the younger members of the audience with their own ‘Flaws’ and to the parents at the back via the 90s club anthem ‘Rhythm of the Night’ (or ‘Of The Night’ as it’s dubbed on the band’s infamous mixtape), all bases are covered. And as their set comes to a close, the crowd echo the chant from closing number ‘Pompeii’. They should definitely be playing to bigger crowds.

When Two Door Cinema Club take to the stage half an hour later, the audience erupts once again, to be greeted by ‘Sleep Alone’. Yet by four or five songs in, it seems as if the initial excitement of the set has gone, and interaction between the stage and crowd is kept to a minimum. Not all artists engage in ‘between-song-banter’, but tonight it feels as if Alex Trimble has chosen not to, which puts a dampener on the evening.

There are, of course, positives within the set: closer ‘What You Know’ is a high point and ‘Eat That Up, It’s Good For You’ results in dozens of huge white balloons being thrown on to the crowd from the back of the venue.

But the band are lacking that certain something from their performance tonight. Maybe it’s because it’s possible to easily confuse one of their songs with another, or because the set doesn’t seem all that different from last year’s. Either way, they came to the Guildhall to play to their fans; the young crowd appear exhilarated by every note the band play, and the die-hards leave the venue content.