The Bravery are so effortlessly cool they make every band that's gone before them look like a bunch of chancers. The Strokes, The Killers et all may have fallen into place by accident, but everything about the Bravery is calculated and pre-meditated. As the opening strains to "Unconditional" kick in, frontman Sam Endicott louchly walks in to take the mic at the exact point he needs to sing the first line.

Since we saw them at the Roadhouse at the tail end of last year they've grown in stature. Then they were Morrissey's wet dream with a fusion of rockabilly meets New Romantic. Now thanks to the video for "Honest Mistake" they're awaking sexually dormant domino's fanatics as well as teenage girls who've grown tired of Dougie McFly's silent broody treatment.

"Out Of Line" comes across like a Cure song with added synths and as the band play on they gay-up like the Metrosexual shagmeisters they are. Bassist Mike Hindert wears a boy scout uniform, guitarist Michael Zakarin pouts and preens throughout. "Swollen Summer" and "Public Service Announcement" are the campest anthems since Kylie's "Your Disco Needs You".

"Tightrope" is one of the bands few downbeat moments. Dropping the guitars to a minimum and allowing John Conway synths to flow freely clearly works, if the Pet Shop Boys grew up in hedonistic New York this is how they would sound.

"Honest Mistake" is the song many have been waiting for and it doesn't disappoint. The crowd suddenly explode and as the band requested no barriers there's no divide between the band and the stage. "Leave It All To You", brand new song "Give In", "The Ring Song" and "Fearless" end the set. Returning for a cover of INXS "Don't Change" Hindert leaps into the audience, no doubt getting groped by members of both sexes. As he clambers back on stage, the synths unleash their final squelch, the guitar's their final wry riff and the house lights come up. A manic fans is left shouting "The Bravery. F*ckin Yeah". We couldn't put it better ourselves.

Words: Alex McCann
Photos: Karen McBride www.karenmcbride.com