While it was credited with the likes of Libertines and Franz Ferdinand that bought Morrissey back into the publics affection in the UK, he never really stopped having an over bearing influence on American music enlarge. Not only the larger bands such as My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco, but bands such as Nightmare Of You who quite literally want to be in the Smiths more than Morrissey has for the past 15 years.

Last time we saw the band Designer Magazine had no idea of the history of Nightmare Of You, which in short can be summed up that Brandon Reilly was guitarist in The Movielife and drummer Sammy Sigler used to be in Rival Schools and Glassjaw amongst others. It's interesting, but it really is irrelevant to this band which marks year zero for us and much of the audience in attendance tonight who have little interest in the history of their previous bands and a healthy interest in their present.

If the songtitles of "The Days Go By Oh So Slow" and "Dead Scene, I Wish I Were Deaf" follow the strict rules of sub-emo Bibles the world over, musically the band are more akin to the aforementioned Smiths along with the likes of The Cure and The Stranglers popping up for vocal intermissions. When they walk on stage Reilly looks somewhere between Richey Manic and
Billie Joe of Green Day and while guitarist Joe McCaffrey tries to emulate Johnny Marr's subtle guitar picks it's hard to imagine who Reilly imitates vocally as the strange drawn out vocals aren't immediately reminiscent of anyone in particular.

With the debut album being out for what seems like an age this tour is the last chance the band have to play some of the new material and the 3 songs previewed tonight hint at a slightly rockier sound than we've been previously used to with the UK reference points less apparent. Songs that don't so much jangle but have crunching power chords.

Despite virtually selling out tonight's show Nightmare Of You are still a relatively cult band and when the second album comes out later this year you can guarantee that will chance. This gig could be the last time we get to see them in venues so small

Alex McCann