Credit: Found On Internet

It was a wise choice on the part of whoever booked The Music to play ULU. Although I daresay most of the undergraduates were still at school when The Music’s last album, 2004’s ‘Welcome To The North’ came out.

But never underestimate the Northerners In London factor. A decade ago they barged down every street in their own personal Verve video, scaring children and causing a city-wide shortage of black leather jackets. Despite The Music’s long absence, the venue is sold-out and there hasn’t been such a crush at the bar since the last pound-a-pint night.

Looking more weathered than Music Towers remembers, the now shaven-headed frontman Robert Harvey starts his infamous dancing as the band open with ‘Take The Long Road And Walk It’. Soon those oddly toe-tap inducing highnote scat-style vocals kick in too, and the mental barrier that so many guitar bands build up without even trying to – y’know ‘It Is Not Okay To Dance To Music With Guitars’ – is disregarded en masse as ULU turns on the moves as one.

Though the new songs slow the pace of the set down somewhat, it isn’t pronounced enough so much that the fans are confused or put out by their introduction. There’s still The Music’s trademark mix of big, almost Zeppelin-esque riffs masked beneath an electronic dance beat so not as to frighten away people at it’s hidden heaviness.

Some of the reasons behind the band’s long absence can be inferred from the new song titles. ‘Drugs’, ‘No Weapon Sharper Than A Will’, ‘Get Through It’….depression, drug abuse, alcoholism – it really has been grim up north (dear God, did I really just use that gag?).

It all bubbles over and flares up for ‘Jag Tune’, just in time for their forthcoming new single ‘Strength In Numbers’ to send the crowd over their boiling point.

The Music playing ‘Strength In Numbers’ at ULU:

For such an anthem, ’The People’ doesn’t quite go off the way it should. Music Towers was half expecting the place to ignite like one of those fireworks that was banned and is now only available under the counter from that old Chinese newsagent round the corner. Instead, it just kind of fizzles like an indoor firework.