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Of Monsters and Men Tickets

How better to launch a set of new iPhone speakers? Get two of the biggest new bands of the year to perform at your party and ply guests with free drinks. Thank you very much Logitech UE, we feel a little worse for wear today.

Both Spector and Of Monsters & Men have enjoyed Top Ten albums in 2012, and in the case of the latter, a Top Twenty single as well. Trumpet-led 'Little Talks' was a radio and chart hit - very much a rarity in our world of Chris Brown singles and Calvin Harris remixes.

Thrashing out their distinct brand of no-frills indie-pop, Spector partied like it was 2006. Their retro indie sound filling the moderately spectacular Village Underground with their uplifting tunes. Their refusal to bow to music conventions of 2012 is what makes the band so popular - although at the same time has drawn fierce criticism who want something more forward-thinking from their guitar bands. But who needs 'thinking' when tracks such as 'Chevy Thunder' sound even better live than they did on Enjoy It While It Lasts?

Between the two bands, an unwise selection of pumping house tunes did little to warm things up for Of Monsters & Men - the most successful Icelandic band since Sigur Ros. The six-piece took to the stage seeming somewhat awkward and shy - only to leave half an hour later after pounding drums, blasting trumpets and sparking huge group singalongs.

Opening with the narrative-led 'Dirty Paws', the band rattled through tracks from their My Head Is An Animal debut during their set. Tracks such as 'From Finner' and new single 'Mountain Sound' set the pace, but it was 'Little Talks' and the stirring 'Lakehouse' that truly stood out on the setlist. A flawless performance from one of the finest live bands of the year.