Chapel Club and The Joy Formidable put guitars on the radar

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Chapel Club looked like future NME cover stars. Lewis Bowman had a mildly sinister gaze to complement his urgent crooning, although the rest of the band initially appeared in need of some of the tour sponsor’s energy drinks.

However, the tunes soon kicked in and the Londoners showed off more ideas in half an hour than many bands muster in a career. Surfacing was a malevolent, rumbling indie number, followed by the more ethereal Bodies.

Bowman turned moody again on The Shore and his lyrics accused someone of being a "liar, you coward, you snake". All the Eastern Girls was an anthemic finale.

Fortunately, The Joy Formidable are already a seasoned enough touring act to be able to follow that. The Welsh three-piece’s quiet-loud dynamic was less nuanced, although it was certainly effective and dynamic singer and guitarist Ritzy Bryan happily dived into the crowd.

Some frantic drumming and blistering guitars on I Don’t Want to See You Like This made for an epic tune, and there were plenty of grungy choruses that should go down well in the US.

Perhaps The Joy Formidable aren’t the most fashionable new band around. Even their special guest was a Nineties throwback: former Mansun singer Paul Draper. But Bryan’s tireless performance suggests that she’s a potential new star for 2011.

NME Radar Tour: The Joy Formidable, Chapel Club
KOKO
Camden High Street, NW1 7JE