Hopefully not the last of those super Shadow Puppets

It feels like we need to enjoy The Last Shadow Puppets while they're here. Given their form, the respective members of this supergroup will soon be back with their own individual projects and, no doubt, leaving us waiting years for more.

That added a little added spice to their gig at De Montfort Hall on Tuesday night. Not only did we get to see a class act at the top of its game - but also a class act that so rarely comes out to play.

It feels like a second album is a good time to see any band. By then, not only does it have a bank of songs to fill a good set and confidence in its own performances, but it isn't too far removed from those joyous first hits that attracted you in the first place.

So it proved with The Last Shadow Puppets. The mix of the more retro songs from The Age Of The Understatement and the newer material from Everything You've Come To Expect made for a set that rattled along at a real pace.

The band's key players - Alex Turner and Miles Kane - offer up contrasting performances. Kane is the solid, serious musician, with the heavy lifting on the guitar. Turner slips into the frontman routine and, once he got into it, belted out the hits in some style.

There was little interaction with the audience - they just got on with delivering the goods - but Turner did make me chuckle by feigning to praise the city's football team before actually bigging up Kane. If it's possible to hear a glint in the eye then this was it.

The title song from the new album was one real highlight, as was The Dream Synopsis. Yet the surprise for me was Sweet Dreams TN, a song that was really lifted by a brilliant live performance. I'll certainly appreciate it more in future now. In fact the whole of the second album crackled with a real energy and came across well proving the group is no one album wonder.

Meeting Place brought the curtain down in typically class fashion, with a slick and memorable parting shot to round off a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

They didn't perform the excellent Pattern from the new album or Separate and Ever Deadly from the first album, but then that's The Last Shadow Puppets all over isn't it? Always leaving you wanting even more.

I do hope there'll be more from the group. It'll be worth the wait, no matter how long it is this time.

A first listen of The Last Shadow Puppets Everything You've Come To Expect

Everything You've Come To Expect is a bold choice of title. Over the last eight years The Last Shadow Puppets' superb The Age of the Understatement has become one of my favourite albums. It was a short, sweet burst of something very different and left me tantalised by the prospect of more. So, after all this time, could it really deliver everything I'd come to expect?

We plumped for the vinyl (yep, we're cool) and gave it a burst. Within seconds, Aviation feels like the return of an old friend, encapsulating that sound of the first album. It's hard to define the mix of the vocals, lyrics, top class arrangements and distinctly retro sound that make up The Last Shadow Puppets' appeal. It's like the sort of music your dad might have made you listen to but slicker and, well, better. Will that do?

From there we veer off towards the Arctic Monkeys end of the band's spectrum, tapping into the slower more mellow sound that Alex Turner's vehicle has displayed in recent years. While, as an Arctic Monkeys fan, I enjoyed Miracle Aligner and Dracula Teeth the band's best bits come when songs neither Monkeys nor Miles Kane. In The Element Of Surprise and Bad Habits - a decent single - we're back there.

On the second side (it's a vinyl thing kids...) little stood out on first listen. The orchestral 60s arrangements of the first album were less in evidence and only Pattern really grabbed me by the ears and said 'listen again'. This is, of course, a little harsh on first listen and I'm sure there'll be rich rewards from popping the needle on again. The first album certainly rewards the listener on repeated sittings.

So, first thoughts? Not as good as the first album but that was unlikely. A fresh, new collection of work from a talented group that stands out from the crowd? Certainly.

While it wasn't everything I'd come to expect, only time will tell just how much it fulfils my hopes...

Mumford and Sons gig was a musical feast

Sometimes the best things in life are unexpected aren't they? That was certainly the case when I saw Mumford and Sons' tour-opening gig at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham. It was thanks to a good friend and a stroke of luck that I went on Saturday night and fortunately those circumstances resulted in a cracking feast of music.

You can't help but admire anyone with a musical flair and there's no denying that Mumford and Sons have got that in spades. This was a two hour guitar, piano, banjo, horn, drum and double bass frenzy. Visually stunning and musically rich.

This was a band on the top of its game, three albums - and plenty of awards - in to their career, they were confident, consummate and looked to be having fun. We certainly were in the crowd even if the praise for Jamie Vardy nearly backfired in Nottingham.

I'm not sure how the band's change of style for the latest album has gone down among hardcore fans, with the synonymous banjo sidelined for the electric guitar. I reckon they've  managed to stay clear of slipping into a generic sound and the new songs blended in seamlessly, adding variety to a gig that still delivered old favourites such as The Cave and Little Lion Man. The only slight disappointment was the lack of Winter Winds from Sigh No More but you cant have them all can you?

Singles Believe, Ditmas and The Wolf were gratefully lapped up while I'm a fan of Tompkins Square Park. Cold Arms, meanwhile, was part of an intimate one-microphone two-song set with Timshel that brought proceedings right in front of us.

A brief diversion into Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) was entertaining and made use of the talents of up-and-coming support star Jack Garratt.

This might not have been a planned date in the diary but it was certainly a memorable one. Here's to more pleasant surprises...

Starsailor's superb show delivered the goods

It's an odd thing being a fan isn't it? You spend all of your time looking forward to seeing your favourite football team, TV show or band and following their fortunes. Yet, when push comes to shove, there's a moment of doubt. That moment when worry sets in.

You'd have been forgiven for a pang of worry coming to Starsailor's greatest hits tour, could they still nail that back catalogue?

Yet, barely seconds in to the gig at The Waterfront in Norwich any fan worry clearly dissipated. James Walsh strode onto the stage and powered out Poor Misguided Fool, one of seven tracks from debut album Love Is Here to be performed in a true treat of a show.

Really loving our UK tour so far! pic.twitter.com/1wwn07zBit

— Starsailor Official (@Starsailorband) October 5, 2015

A good gig often encourages me to appreciate a good song even more - and that was certainly the case with the hideously underrated Way To Fall, tweaked a little here to add an effective bit of audience interaction. Lullaby, Fever, Alcoholic all formed part of a set that should remind casual fans just how good Love Is Here really was.

The band's other three albums also contributed to a generous set list - which also featured the new track Give Up The Ghost, a welcome new addition to the fold.

Walsh kept the banter to a minimum, with the odd bit of natural charm thrown in as he paused to take on water in the sweltering atmosphere of this intimate venue. For the most, though, he let his voice do the talking. None of the power of the record had waned and he left you hoping that the band has even more to offer.

There was certainly no better way to bring the curtain down that with Good Souls, the track that gave its name to this greatest hits tour.

Great memories, great tracks and a great performance - you couldn't ask for more.