It seemed as if the entire audience of the Brighton Dome held their breath at one certain moment on Friday night.

One man on stage gently lifting a drumstick and letting it gently drop onto a small drum and vibrate with hypnotic rhythms held over 1,000 people in thrall. Nobody dared breathe out, never mind shuffle in their seat.

The Japanese drumming troupe Kodo performing their One Earth Tour 2014 hypnotised with their immaculate perfor-mance on the taiko, a traditional drum. From huge crashing waves to tiny petite moves, they illustrate their mastery of the instrument in an exciting and visual show.

It was almost physical to watch as the highly controlled musicians played with the variety of sounds they could create with their drums. From the sound of wind, to tinkling raindrops through to the hum of a vibrating engine to body-shaking thunder they produced an amazing array of magical rhythms.

In the second half, six super-fit drummers – dressed only in fundoshi, a traditional loincloth – dueted on an o-daiko, a huge drum. At around 20 minutes long, the set was relentless and marred an otherwise thrilling performance.