All I could see was a pair of plus fours and long socks dangling in mid air where, just a moment before, there was the lead singer of a mildly successful rock'n'roll band.

As well as near-suicidal head-first stage dives, branches were thrashed about, toilet roll launched into the air and a rather scary man flailed around dressed as a tree.

It was all quite dangerous, slightly immature and a whole lot of fun. It was very British Sea Power.

Brighton's best band - bar none - played two gigs as part of the Great Escape weekend and handsomely rewarded those lucky enough to get into both.

Old favourites Remember Me and Spirit of St Louis had the Zap and Hanbury Ballroom crowds maniacally pogoing around while, for unashamedly fanatical fans such as myself, the addition of three new songs was like treating a starving man to a slap-up meal.

Sometimes BSP's wild finales can drag into self-indulgence, with the band clearly having more fun than the audience. But the strict time constraints of this minifestival kept things lean and mean.

A Great Escape to victory.