The fear sets in as the cheesy synths wail, the big choruses hit and the hipsters dance in front of you… you’re at the Passion Pit show, and you’ve rocked up at the wrong gig! Hang on a sec – phew, it’s just Tim and Jean. The only difference seems to be that there might be an off chance of fun being had at a Passion Pit show. Not so for the W.A. twosome, who don’t seem to have improved at all following their main support slot for Operator Please and will probably stay the same in the lead up to their tour with Art Vs. Science.

It’s the same cheesy synth-pop crap with twice the gimmicks and half of the hooks, with their forty-five minute set bleeding into one long, overwrought and uninspired processed beat that even Van She would hurl their shoulderpads at. At first their shtick was kind of tolerable, but now, at the point of overexposure, they’re really starting to get on a nerve or three. Lots of work to be done here.

Finally, the rainy queuing-up and subsequently soggy cardigans were made worthwhile as Irish it-kids Two Door Cinema Club made a brisk bee-line for their instruments and sharply turned into “Cigarettes In The Theatre”, the dynamic and dance-y opener to their debut, Tourist History.  For a second, clutching his guitar, vocalist Alex Trimble looked around to see if any of his bandmates were joining him on backing vocals, until he shifted his view to the front to realise there were at least a couple of hundred kids singing the track right back in his face, word for word. This was evidently a shock to his system; but if anything, it gave him the rush he needed to get through the rest of the band’s set with on-the-fly energy and a sweet-natured charm in-between tracks.

Tonight was a very special night for the band – as Trimble was quick to point out, it’s bassist Kevin Baird’s birthday. Hooray! Haaaapyyyy biiiiirrrtthhhhdaayyyyyy....tooooo youuuuu! The fact he’d just turned twenty-one was a surprise to some – especially some of the older punters, whose feat closest to touring at 21 probably would have been a pub crawl. Still, it was proof that in the current musical climate, anything is possible – a few kids from small-town Ireland can and will sell out shows on the other side of the planet.

More Tourist History faves were eaten up, with particular highlights including the summery jangle of “Something Good Can Work” – an incredible contrast from the drizzle outside – and the jagged dream pop of “Do You Want It All”, which proved that the kids on the floor would be dancing no matter what. Even if they have to learn how to dance to a 7/8 time signature.

A quick encore came with “Come Back Home”, once again creating a frenzied singalong. They constantly looked amazed at the vocality of this, but not only is their half-hour disc a quick listen, it’s also a hook-infested and quite memorable one. If anything, it’s a service to you, lads. Another humble thank you, before the unmistakable spliced vocal sample that kicks off “I Can Talk” brought everyone from the front to the back together in a moment of pure, unadulterated fun. Dime-a-dozen indie? Not even twelve for ten cents, kid – Two Door proved tonight that they have exactly what it takes to be remembered beyond their current wave of hype. Let’s hope they make good on it.