THERE may only have been a few dozen hardy souls in the Garage's Attic Bar, but Broken Hands put on a show which would have been fitting for the main hall.

Strobes, smoke, driving hooks and nasty breakdowns – despite this being a 45-minute set, it was formidable. Everything was in the right place; the stage show orchestrated to complement the band's interesting sound.

It's a strange mix, but it truly works. Think of it as Royal Blood, Muse and The Music mixed with a little bit of Kasabian and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes.

It's fuzzy, it's spacey, grungy and dark – but, it's fun. In Dale Norton, that band have a genuine entertainer who takes a lot of joy in watching others cutting loose at a Broken Hands.

They brought out the big guns for the tour: Split in Two, Who Sent You?, Turbulence, and Wrong Track all featured along with the emphatic Meteor.

One welcome surprise in the set was Can you Feel it, said to be the upcoming single. It was an absolute monster of a track, arguably the highlight of the night.

As the smoke clears from the floor, it was fair to say that these five guys had won over a few in the audience. Indeed, there is a real potential for the band: their sound is clearly marketable, and the live shows are well worth the price of admission.

With a few breaks, Broken Hands next show at The Garage may well be on a different stage.

SETLIST:

Split in Two
Who Sent You?
Can You Feel It?
Light Up
Turbulence
Meteor
Eight Miles High (The Byrds cover)
Collide
Runaway
Wrong Track