Live Review: Of Monsters & Men & Vance Joy

The venue was packed before the support had even begun. The crowd was an interesting mix of mostly under-18s and their parents, but all were buzzing with anticipation and that delightful enthusiasm that is unique to an all-ages gig.

Vance Joy made the mistake of launching straight into his set without an introduction, which meant most of his opening song was drowned out by the audience's excited chatter. His tunes were sweet and folky with acoustic guitar accompaniment, but he held a voice that was surprisingly powerful. Five short songs saw Joy leave the stage as quickly as he had come but his closer, a cute little upbeat ukulele number, made an impression.

Some blasts from the smoke machine heralded the arrival of the Icelandic headliners Of Monsters & Men. Playing as a seven-piece, they were received with an ecstatic roar from the crowd. The two main singers blended beautifully in close, tight harmonies for an acoustic intro before a thumping beat was kicked and we were off on a rollicking mixture of pop pirate shanties meets Scandinavian folk.

Piano accordion lent the folky flavour and the instrument was passed through the many skilful hands of the band members. The trumpet melodies were uplifting and joyous and nicely contrasted with some distorted electric guitar. The bubbly drums kept hearts thumping and energy high, even in the ballads.

Old and young alike bounced to every song and belted each catchy chorus like it was their last chance. Hand clapping and call and response were eagerly encouraged, and it was impressive to see how expertly the musicians worked the crowd. Mountain Sound and King And Lionheart were particularly well received, but it was Little Talks that expectedly took the cake of what was a fun and refreshing live show.