Quoting from House Of Leaves when talking about a gig in Long Eaton may seem pretty random, and I guess it is, but the statement applies quite well here. It's rare that any musical event other than karaoke would happen in this town on a Saturday night, so when a gig showcasing three of the best bands of the British toilet circuit is put on, it's important to note its rarity.

From the start 2hrsTen disprove the 'theory of Radiohead' (that's a patent). That is, the further pop music goes from being middle of the road, the more unlistenable it gets. The band have drawn comparisons from Thom Yorke's gang of merry men, but 2hrsTen reach much further. 'Escape Plan' leans on the quite-LOUD structure of warriors-of-comatose Mogwai and creates a six-minute dose of melancholy that would stand out on any Elbow album. Other songs branch out into wider territories, combining falsetto vocals with meandering guitar runs and lazy drums sometimes reminiscent of everyone's favourite mormons Low.

So with the crowd lulled into a calm state, many of whom who haven't heard any of the bands playing tonight, The Swarm take to the stage. They may not make as many new converts as the previous band but their set, aided with a black and white projection of real life executions, captures the audience's attention in a much more immediate way. Tracks like the colossal 'Shacked Up With Flies' become the musical equivalent of corporal punishment, with vocalist Callum Thompson locking eyes with the front row, challenging them to react or to retreat. More than half of the audience will say they didn't enjoy the set, but none will say they don't really remember it.

Which leaves the crowd waiting with baited breath for tonight's headliners, the mighty 'Sleep. And it's to their credit that they retain the attention of every person in the room, most of whom when hearing the phrase 'melancholic, shoegaze-influenced post-rock' would probably punch you in the face for being a poncy, girly haired student. Latest single 'Closer In' hits the mark south of 'A Storm in Heaven' and northwest of 'Loveless', while 'Forever' is the sound of Jeff Buckley fronting Explosions In The Sky at their most introspective.

On an evening when some geek from Devon who happens to have married into Hollywood's A-list can command centre stage at Europe's biggest rock festival, it's even more fitting that four blokes from South Yorkshire can transfix an audience usually more at home watching 'Stars In Their Eyes' of a Saturday evening. Mindblowing.