Razorlight

November 17 @ Leeds Academy

THE band jumped on stage, the crowd jumped in the air – and we were off.

Razorlight were playing Leeds Academy – a venue some were surprised to find they had included in their tour, they being quite a big name and it being quite a small place.

But what the Academy lacks in stadium size it makes up for in old-style club atmosphere.

There were items of clothing, people and, worryingly at one point, a pair of upside down legs appearing above the crowd as Razorlight hit the beat and the crowd hit its stride.

Johnny Borrell was, as ever, the man the crowd were watching. He has just the right amount of arrogance to make a great front man, ie: a lot.

And though his self-regard might not be to everyone's taste, on stage he can't be beaten.

Every bit of him, standing there in his skinny jeans and white shirt, every flick of a wrist, every hitch of a shoulder says: "look at me". And so we dutifully did.

But it's not just Johnny, there's 0Bjorn Agren, Carl Dileno and Andy Burrows too, and together they make a tight band, every bit as good on stage as when listening to their recorded material.

They opened with Golden Touch and went through all their best known songs, including In The Morning, Somewhere Else, America and Before I Fall To Pieces.

Plus there were a few from their new, third album called Slipway Fires – but that didn't matter too much. The great thing about Razorlight songs is that they're practically instantly hummable, so no breaking-in period required.

Anyway, this album is probably their best yet – so nothing to spoil the flow of a cracking night.

Jayne Dawson