The Kixx rock Islington's O2 Academy - 1st September

When it comes to intimate venues, you don't get much more intimate than the O2 Academy in Islington. It's one of those whites-of-the-eyes places, where the music becomes a physical force, where every throbbing guitar string, every beat of the drum becomes part of the spectacle.

And for The Kixx's headline showcase, the place was absolutely packed.

You could tell the fans were out in force from the moment the band walked on stage to a wave of screams of the kind only teen girls worshipping their favourite band seem capable of making.

There was an impressive array of home-made banners and t-shirts held aloft too - all testament to the popularity The Kixx have already garnered for themselves.

And hovering near the bar, a crowd of aging dads, clearly there to chaperone their daughters to and from the gig. Despite looking like they'd be more at home at a Pink Floyd gig though, when the Kixx started playing, it has to be said, this assortment of fathers were digging the music just as much as anyone else there. Wide-ranging appeal The Kixx clearly have in ample amounts.

And in a way, that was what tonight was all about - as well as my personal favourite Already Gone and current single Standing Where You Left Me (both synth-heavy pop-rock stormers), the band took the opportunity to play a range of new tracks more in the vein of We Begin At The End.

The band have previously been compared with the likes of The Script, albeit a far more cheery incarnation, and its a sound that definitely came across tonight in the band's newer material - the sign of a band unveiling their mature side, a befitting new direction for a group that play all their own instruments.

Indeed, in terms of musical ability, The Kixx are faultless - sharing lead vocals throughout the gig and whipping through a range of assorted flashy guitars, you can tell they possess a keen passion for what they do.

Some bands totally come into their own in a live setting, and The Kixx are one of those bands - the movement, the energy, the mutual feedback of it all.

The band even had a celeb admirer present in the lovely Kasey from girl-group Wonderland, who the guys toured alongside with when supporting Olly Murs earlier in the year.

A nice touch of glamour for a very classy live set!

Standing Where You Left Me is released on the 4th September and can be pre-ordered here.