NME Awards Tour, Manchester Academy 1, 11th February 2012

The NME Awards tour is intended to showcase up and coming acts and promote new music. In this age of social media, NME might be seen to be less relevant and further from the cutting edge, but I happily joined a crowd of over 2000 in Manchester's Academy to see four sets in a packed evening.

1) Azealia Banks 8/10

Azealia Banks from Harlem is only 20, so you can imagine how I felt when she expressed her amazement at the youth of the audience (I'd estimate that in my late 30's, I was twice the average age). She came third in the BBC Sound of 2012 poll and is working on her first album with Paul Epworth of Adele 21 fame. Hip Hop isn't a genre I can claim much knowledge of, but I can say that I was impressed with her energy and enthusiasm. She worked the crowd brilliantly, and her single 212 raised the excitement level to heights which were to be maintained throughout the evening. The DJ, from her adopted home Montreal, danced infectiously, and whilst rap music doesn't really move me, I couldn't help but be impressed by the vigour and stagecraft. An auspicious opening.

2) Tribes 6/10

My motivation for attending this show was to decide whether Tribes are lacking in originality, or a band who will go far; their debut album released last month left me unsure. The four piece from Camden, London have been described as grunge revivalists, and the lead singer Johnny Lloyd has a strong voice. The first half of their set sagged, yet they came to life after Lloyd temporarily swapped his electric guitar for an acoustic one. Despite this, the set exposed the fact that their material simply isn't memorable enough: they may be technically accomplished, but it was all a little earthbound. Disappointing, although not so bad as to make you question the health of guitar based indie rock.

Metronomy 9/10

The English Riviera appeared on some critics' best of 2011 lists, but it didn't really engage me. I was therefore totally unprepared for this astonishing set which was mesmerising. Metronomy are an electronic group from Devon on the south coast of England, and released their first album as long ago as 2005. They embody a quirky British eccentricity, manifested in the push lights stuck to their chest and pastel portraits of the band strung above the stage. This show seemed to combine the danceability of a electro pop act like Cut Copy with the emotional intensity of War Paint. The repetitive beats were almost hypnotic, and they worked the audience into a trance-like state. They achieved that elusive but much sought after quality of transportation: that state where the worries of everyday life are totally eliminated in favour of an absorption in the present. The lightshow added to the intensity, with the syncopated rhythms and dancing. Some even predict they may occupy the void left by LCD Soundsystem. Definitel a band you must experience live to understand.

Two Door Cinema Club 8/10

Following Metronomy's spellbinding performance, the audience was in such a state of frenzy that there was crowd surfing and full tempo dancing during the music played over the PA whilst the hard working roadies set the stage up. I've seen Two Door Cinema club previously at Reading and Coachella Festivals, where I found them enjoyable but underwhelming. They're a straightforward indie rock band, with catchy hooks and an upbeat mood. They are about to take a break from touring to record a second album, and the three new songs they previewed were very much in their customary mould. There's precious little variety of tempo and I found the reliance on pre-recorded synthesiser embellishments disconcerting. Yet, this set was tremendous fun thanks to the energy of the crowd, and a well managed venue, with a mature, hands off approach to management. The celebratory mood really was infectious, and I couldn't help but be caught up in the euphoria. The credit for setting this up must be given to Metronomy, but the Northern Irish group had bounce and commitment, and were aided by the venue's thunderous sound system and top class lighting system. This set, where a competent but not amazing act were lifted by the venue and crowd couldn't have been in greater contrast to the disappointing experience I'd had earlier in the week at The Black Keys' gig. Whilst I might not have the stamina of the young crowd, I do share much of the excitement for music. My first show was almost exactly one year ago, and it occurred to me that some of the teenagers present might be almost as new to this magical artform as I am.