After two albums of platinum-selling piano rock, you would be forgiven for thinking that Keane’s third effort, Perfect Symmetry, would be more of the same.

But last night’s exclusive showcase at Q Awards: The Gigs showed the Sussex group have planned for something far more ambitious this time around.

A new sound needs a new wardrobe and the boys bounded onto the Forum stage in bright pinks and yellows.

Frontman Tom Chaplin, who has always looked more prefect than pop star, was even sporting a fetching skinny-jeans-and-flannel-shirt ensemble.

More radically still, he’d picked up the guitar.

This added a rockier dimension to upcoming single The Lovers Are Losing, as did the bass of new recruit Jesse Quinn.

Tim Rice-Oxley multi-tasked as keyboard-and-synth wizard, creating Eighties-indebted grooves on Better Than This and You Haven’t Told Me Anything, the two standouts from the new album.

Keane went all political on Perfect Symmetry.

“This is our attempt at a peace song,” said Chaplin, who has a fine set of lungs but certainly isn’t the voice of a revolution.

Not that the crowd seemed to care. As strobe lighting flashed to an encore of Is It Any Wonder, they danced as one.

“We’ve had this album lurking inside us for a while,” added Chaplin. Why did they wait so long?