Little Noise Sessions have been full of big surprises this year. The nine-night event, in aid of MENCAP, has persuaded bands such as U2 to leave their egos (and sunglasses) at the door for intimate acoustic shows in Union Chapel's hushed surroundings.

Against such an exciting backdrop, an evening of dreary piano-rock with Sussex trio Keane seemed a rather limp ending. Indeed, when Jo Whiley, the curator, announced that "this is our party night", it seemed more in hope than expectation.

Perhaps this led the organisers to enlist the help of special guests The Feeling - the most unashamedly optimistic pop group of recent years. Their Beach Boy-style harmonies warmed the chapel's stony walls during Never Be Lonely and Sewn was poignant as a folk-rock ballad. Yet without the big guitars and driving rhythms that characterise their radio-friendly pop tunes, the foppish five sounded rather exposed. Worse, in the absence of other musical distractions, attention turned to the band's lyrics. Bob Dylan has nothing to worry about.

Keane were in experimental mode. Set-opener This Is The Last Time was performed by Tom Chaplin on acoustic guitar. His rendition is unlikely to ignite calls for a musical reshuffle, but it was good to see the group entering into the spirit of things.

In smart trousers and tucked-in shirt, he was more "prefect" than "pop star" but he has a wonderfully expressive voice. A cover of Queen's Under Pressure - suicide in the hands of a less accomplished vocalist - was note perfect.

If Keane's frontman was pushing himself, bandmate Tim Rice-Oxley was in cruise control. Usually multi-tasking as keyboard-and-synth wizard, last night must have seemed like a doddle as he sat behind the piano.

A string section - or as Chaplin referred to them, "some proper musicians" hardly added to a party atmosphere, they did add a sense of grandeur to closing ballad Bedshaped.

That's it from Keane for this year. But they'll be back. And so too, with a bit of luck, will Little Noise Sessions.