The name of NME's New Breed Tour says it all really - the acts here today are where the music's at. Featuring TGE alumni Honeyblood and Superfood, two of the most sought after up and coming bands of the moment, (just last week Superfood supported Jamie T and Honeyblood's album was named in the top 20 of this year by Rough Trade), we went along to see how they were getting on.

Warming the crowd up nicely, newcomers Bad Sounds sound straight out of B Town with their spangly, eighties-inspired indie pop. Playing a set including recent debut "Living Alone', for relative unknowns, the band are warmly received. And why not? Their sound is bright, the lads are likeable and they look like they'll be well worth keeping an eye on over the coming months. Complete with ribboned tambourine, and multi-coloured lights, a lot of head bobbing and a fantastically enthusiastic dude called Matt, the crowd are set on edge and buzzing for whatever's coming next.

As hotly-tipped duo Honeyblood take to the stage, a huge cheer erupts from the crowd. Falling immediately into an easy rapport, there's no banter necessary as they rattle through the first few songs, loud, punchy and full of attitude. The immediate intensity pulls the crowd into action, with dancing ensuing from the start, escalating to jumping during "Choker' at the request of lead vocalist and guitarist Stina Tweeddale. The frequent seamless switch between drawly, feverish entreaties and fiery directness is part of what builds Honeyblood's enrapturing presence, set to the constant of Cat Myers' fierce drum skills. You can tell by the smiles on their faces that this is the kind of gig they like - band and crowd are completely in sync, with no prompting necessary to get the audience clapping along to "Bud'. A casual invitation to the audience for a post-set chat at the merch stand only goes to emphasise their total willingness to engage. As the set goes on, the crowd gets more and more animated - the first pit emerges during "Killer Bangs', followed shortly by a crowd surfer, the first of many in the evening. By the time it's over, everyone is exhausted but ready for more.

By the time we get to Superfood, the venue has completely hotted up - both literally and metaphorically. Opening to a raucous welcome with older tracks from their "MAM" EP, "Bubbles' then "TV', Superfood instantaneously set the crowd alight, with the front section of the venue jostling for prime position throughout, between their moshing, jumps and crowd-surfing. By the second song, guitarist Ryan Malcom is standing on the drums: its clear that Superfood are having a ball, giving high fives to the crowd and proclaiming later in the set that "This has been the best fucking show'. The stage is so close that the audience and band feel almost one; there's a sense of collective in the room - the bands and venue are still small enough that it's a realistic prospect to invite the audience to the pub afterwards, yet the frenzy engendered is next level. Reeling through tracks from just-dropped album "Don't Say That', interspersed with the odd plea to try and stop squashing those at the front (to no avail of course), standouts include the anthemic "Right on Satellite' and lazily sparkling "You Can Believe'. Everybody's drenched in sweat, so much so that the walls are beginning to drip, but at this point nobody cares. Closing number "Superfood' whips the crowd into an even greater frenzy, with fans bombarding the stage and sharing the microphone with singer Dom Ganderton. Shortly after, bassist Emily Baker taking a dip in the crowd - it all creates what feels like a thoroughly fitting end to the evening.

Maybe it was the combination of acts, maybe it was the expectation of the crowd, but with Superfood only releasing their new album last week, and Honeyblood's debut being only a little older, the ability to incite such great fervour this early on can only mean that bigger and better things are in store.

Words by Eleanor Weinel

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