Dead! Dead! Dead! are without a doubt Southampton’s ‘band of the moment’, they’re on the tip of everyone’s tongues, not to mention every second line-up around the city. Fact is, there’s a reason for this, and in case there was doubt left in anyone’s mind, tonight they prove precisely why.

With tongues firmly in cheek, they take your average indie/rock song and scorch its face with their own brand mark. Slightly obscure, unpredictable and quirky without forgetting to write a damn good melody at the same time. Poppy without being obvious, different without being po-faced - if I throw in names such as British Sea Power and Six By Seven you’ll understand what I’m getting at.

Eccentrically debonair onstage with a sweet vs. sour vocal setup, Dead! Dead! Dead! have more confidence, more personality and far more enthusiasm than ever before.

Second on the bill are the ever-so-scene-sweetie Kill City, who halfway into their set manage to make the better half of the room irate by shamelessly ripping off the drum loop intro to Joy Division’s ‘She’s Lost Control’. Then, just in case anyone missed that, proceed to state that they’re better than the last band – which they are quite clearly not, cue swooping silence and a blowing wind throughout the venue. Nice work.

Despite coming from Hull, The Paddingtons have acquired that dubious tag of being a ‘London band’. This casts them in a bracket with the Libertines and Bloc Party’s of this world and although, granted - they look the part - they appear to be missing the vital ingredient which has made these bands so successful; the unforgettable pop tunes. Maybe they’re just worn out from extensive touring; maybe tonight they just cant be arsed; maybe they’re not ready for all the hype surrounding them at the moment… Then again, maybe they’d be all-round better off as a Clash cover band?

If the battle was local band vs. touring bands, tonight Southampton has won, hands down. I’m sure that’s not quite how it’s supposed to be…is it?