It's always annoying when girl bands have a male drummer. It shouldn't matter but it does. The Fairy Traders don't make such mistakes.
Sweetly dressed in the latest peasant-top fashions, they threw out fair-trade chocolate to the audience before embarking on a set of astutely observed, bitter-sweet songs about escaping from the suburbs and, um, relationships.
Well, they are girls, after all. But these are very good girls. And they rocked, or at least jangled, very nicely.
British Sea Power really did rock. Clad in black and caught somewhere between Joy Division and Echo And The Bunnymen, their music was a powerfully anthemic collision of strangely joyful art-house pretension and guitar-driven angst.
These are two Brighton bands to cherish. Catch them while you can.
British Sea Power play next at The Freebutt on May 17.
Review by Louise Ramsay, features@theargus.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article