Splendour in the Grass has bought some of the finest international acts to Australian shores. Not only for the festival, but the string of side shows that have given gig goers some of the best opportunities this year to catch overseas acts in relatively intimate venues. Foals’ Myspace Secret Show just hours before their main gig at Melbourne’s Hi Fi was a great example of this.

All ages, and spread by digital word of mouth, there can’t have been more than 200 people packed into Melbourne’s Trade Hall to catch one of England’s best indie rock bands at work. Lingering near the back with others a little to jaded or a little too old to cram to the front it still felt like we were watching a local band at a local venue, so small and intimate was the setting. With no support acts, the band took the stage to play only a handful of songs to a surging, eager young crowd. Foals are currently touring their second album and have been on the touring circuit for a couple of years now, and it really shows.

Though the mix was a little muddy, the excellent playing, singing and high energy of the group shone through. Their tight musicianship, particularly the interplay between drums and trigger fingered guitar playing, emphasized their tight angular arrangements, which in the live show include new jammy musical interludes and some pretty astonishing white noise attack. You could feel the vibrations through the floorboards from the weight of about 100 jumping, sweating, screaming teenagers at the front, and even the taught, disciplined build of ballad Spanish Sahara yielded palpable energy from the crowd.

An excellent, though far too short set from these Oxford lads, and from all accounts their set later that night at the Hi Fi was well worth checking out too.