SHEFFIELD O2 THURSDAY OCTOBER 25TH

Little Comets, General Fiasco, The Pilots

First up huge thanks to Rob Hamilton for the guest list!!!!

The Pilots take to the stage early doors, half 7. I've been in the O2 before and seen it empty at half 9.
It's rammed.
Luke, Robert, Liam and Richard walk on to screams. On a school night! They look cool, calm and composed. They're onto a winner already. The opening bars of Flash Light  kick in and the crowd go with them. At some point I'm gonna see The Pilots and not say 'that's the best I've seen you'. Not tonight though. They just get better and better. Luke (like Owen from General Fiasco later) sounds like he's borrowed the voice from someone 2 foot taller and barrel chested. It's immense. Resonant and tumbling. The band are tight, and smiling. This is a good gig!!!!! We know it, they know it. They sail effortlessly into She said To Me, new song You, Me History and Take You Back (I'll get the title of that right one day).
 After every song I hear someone say 'that was my favourite', truth is they're all gems. James Dean follows, Liam's piano and Luke's vocals gorgeous and still. Rob's sticks twirl and the song kicks in. The room is bouncing, kids 'taking their chances while they're young'. All too soon it's last song of the night thank you for having us time. They finish with the epic Somewhere. It's a search for song on my ipod and will be for years to come.
The Pilots leave the stage, the O2 a sea of beaming smiles. I'm already looking forward to the next gig.

General Fiasco, confession time, I knew nothing of the band before last night. Caught a few tunes on youtube yesterday just to have a listen. They came on stage at 9. By half past I adored this band. Take the best bits of Big Country, multiply several times and you might come close to General Fiasco. Bouncy, rocky, jangly, all at the same time. Owen's voice is just ridiculously brilliant. Today's mission is to immerse myself in this band. By the end of their set I had a lump in my throat, a tear in my eye and was contemplating giving religion another go. They're THAT good.

Two things about Little Comets. One: They've always been a slow burning band for me. Tonight's show personified that. Two: Any band who has a line of rope tied across the front of the stage with various items of percussion hanging from it, including a saucepan, deserves some serious attention.
They start off slow and I'm worried that after all my excitement this could be an anti-climax. I'm an idiot! The songs build and build and by the time they play Adultery the crowd are bouncing all over the O2. The Enemy downstairs we're probably looking nervously at the ceiling. Jennifer I don't even hear, the crowd word perfect and making sure the band know just how loved they are. It's the perfect build up to the genius that is The Dancing Song. So catchy there should be a law against it. There probably is in the USA. The ultimate sing-a-long song with the band telling you, 'This one's for dancing', just in case you weren't sure.

And then it's over, Robert Cole's guitar hanging off 'the washing line' still feeding back as the crowd pray the lights don't come on. But they do.