After the first instalment of the aforementioned poet's work, Balham based Talk Taxis strut on stage and tear straight into their unique blend of garage rock, all angular guitar riffs with bass lines straight out of dub step and ferocious vocals. The end result is enticing; a dark and edgy antidote to the current trend of synths and drum machines, but still gets the crowd dancing along to songs such as Liverless and I May Never.

Another poem by the delightfully hilarious Meins introduces the arrival of 17 year old Laura Marling, an astonishingly talented singer/songwriter who will no doubt be huge in the not too distant future. She possesses a collection of songs that are far wiser and more mature than her tender years would suggest, ranging from the delectable, yet slightly unhinged My Manic and I, to the tender love story of The Ghosts That Broke My Heart. Calm, focused and, above all, hugely able, Marling will no doubt be a name on everyone's lips come this time next year.

As the floor gets stickier and the audience sweatier, Derek Meins approaches the microphone once more, for a longer set this time, first reciting a poem before launching into a couple of songs that are no less funny than his spoken word material. The crowd's patience is starting to wear thin, though, as heckles and jeers are aimed towards the bearded Scotsman. Shortly after, he skips from the stage, allowing the lights to dim and the atmosphere to soar. Cheers and applause ring round the venue as The Maccabees scamper on stage, pick up their respective instruments and go straight into new song, No Kind Words, before sending the crowd wild with the first rumbling bass note of early single X-Ray. Potential pop classic after potential pop classic follows, with guitarist Felix White never far from the edge of the stage, grinning ecstatically, singing along with the crowd in front of him. Meanwhile, front man Orlando Weeks flails around the stage, directing the songs with air drumming and arm waving, whilst Hugo White and Rupert Jarvis stand stage left, moodily strumming and nodding and Rob Thomas sits centre back, keeping the whole thing together with cymbal crashes and a pulsing bass drum. Good Old Bill, opening song from debut LP Colour It In, is introduced by Weeks as a train, whilst Thomas creates the right soundtrack to fit the eccentric singer's description. A short interval soon follows, before the band return for a little while longer, restarting the night with another new song. Perhaps indicative of a more experimental second album, Weeks picks up an accordion and leaves the duties of lead vocals to his charismatic guitarist, showcasing the potential this Brighton-based band has to still be exciting music fans for many years to come. Finishing off the night comes First Love, the beautiful, demure single that brings a smile to everyone's face. A hearty sing-along follows, with Weeks' voice barely audible above the crowd. After a final round of applause, the band departs once more, leaving the ecstatic audience with a buzz of joy and happiness that only The Maccabees can provide.

Writer: Rhian Daly