A bright, up-lit stage silhouetting the band against the light. A minimal drumkit shoved to the side of the stage to make room for a fair-sized rack of synths and programming (and another, smaller synth for the guitarists to play when they feel like it). A band who play in a manner which makes it clear they’re really into it. Surely this should bode well?

Alas, once again principle and practice are proved to be two rather different things. The problem, you see, is that Union of Knives stick so rigidly to one level of sound. Everything – guitars, vocals, bass, synths – is crammed into a small segment of lower-mid pitch (apart from the odd bit of lead guitar all lost and alone in the upper register) and it thus all merges into one blur of dull noise. Occasionally a bit of rhythm, synth or programming will claw its way above the blur, and ears prick up. But then it sinks back into the swamp, and once again we have a load of loud, well-presented, passionately played and yet utterly edgeless noise. UoK do put on a show; they pose and play with fervour and generally make the effort – which makes it even more sad when said effort gets negated by the murk.

On record, with a tad (okay, a load) more clarity and definition, it may well be a different matter. The recorded UoK may well be a far more tuneful, angular and captivating prospect. But at this gig, they just merge into a high-volume cloud of the less interesting aspects of '80s electro pretension, and the words 'stadium electro-rock' keep returning, relentlessly, to my mind. I yearn for angles! Sharp lines! Peaks and troughs! Blacks and whites! Contrast, colour, definition – at least some kind of groove, or a tune.

But these things are not forthcoming, and I leave the venue somewhat disappointed.