Four reviews written over the last few months, all of which were also featured on Teletext's Planet Sound pages.
Elbow/Nottingham Rock City
Three times better than the superb show when they last played this room, Elbow are now an unmissable live outfit.
Guy Garvey only gets more captivating with age - now attaining Dean Martin levels of stage charisma, whilst the band serve up a faultless setlist of songs, culminating with a devastating eight minute New Born that leaves the room utterly breathless.
One can only assume they'll never play this room again. 9/10
Hot Chip/Manchester Academy 1
Or: "Hot Chip attempt to warm up the still half built and freezing cold Academy 1"
They succeed, for the most part. Sensibly avoiding most of their ballads to present an 80 minute dance-athon, their only fault is placing a raucous Over & Over half way through, as not even penultimate track Ready For The Floor can match it for sheer dance-ability, and the pace never quite recovers.
Address that, and 2008 really will be their year. 7/10
Justice/Nottingham Rock City
Nottingham is already something of a Justice stronghold, so remixing and splicing together their own tracks alongside their remixes of Franz, Klaxons and Metallica was always going to provide an easy win.
So it is here. The 1,300 strong crowd lap up the duo's tight and well crafted party soundtrack.
Some leave in a confused moment where the house lights turn on, before a heavier techno encore which puts off a few but sends most crazy. 8/10
The Twilight Sad/Nottingham Bodega
Finally headlining their own tour south of the border, and one still wonders why they can only half fill this 200 person venue.
Those who do show are literally battered by a wall of sound, as James Graham leads a tight and mesmerizing 50 minute blast, singing acapella, knelling to pummel a cymbal, and all whilst stringently avoiding eye contact with anybody.
It's literally breathtaking. LP2 can't come soon enough. 8/10
