Launching their new single Keith St was as good as any excuse for Oh Mercy to put on a show; it’s just a crying shame it fell short of expectations. Please, hipsters and fansters, control your scathing comments and hear me out.

Sit up, pay attention and write this down, Kimbra – one word, two syllables, three thumbs-up (yep, borrow one from a friend if you have to). Her music, a perfect marriage of pop and jazz, captures with its catchiness. Standout tracks included opener Cameo Lover and single Settle Down with its childish boom-bah-boom-bah videogame-scat and one ridiculously addictive chorus.

From here on in it felt like a competition on who liked Bob Dylan more and I’m not sure who won. Georgia Fair certainly gets a point for vocal/musical resemblance, Kieran Ryan for lyrics and Oh Mercy for band name (but Oh Mercy loses a point for omission of Get You Back).

Yes, another concert, another barefoot folk-rock outfit with polite vocals and collared shirts. Cynicism aside though, Georgia Fair were actually quite enjoyable, combining both an intimate warmth with a professional cool. Set summary: Angus Stone vocals, a penchant for breezy ballads/ cheerful lullabies and a brilliant cover of I Will Always Love You.

One half of Kid Sam, Kieran Ryan took to the stage, strummed some nervous charm and left. The short acoustic set was simple and sweet but lacked engagement with Ryan somewhat disconnected from the crowd. However his wholesome, striking vocal abilities compensated for this.

Opening with Lay Everything On Me and Seemed Like A Good Idea, Oh Mercy wasted no time, bombarding us with crowd-pleasers before we could even realise that co-songwriter Thomas Savage was missing (this went unexplained). Frontman Alexander Gow made up for the loss by frequently conversing with the crowd, offering punchy anecdotes and humorous stage banter.

The trademark opening riff of Can’t Fight It grabs you by the earlobes and sweet talks the living daylights out of you. Musically these guys are the equivalent of flirtatious magicians, sauntering into dimly lit rooms, all melodious class and appeal.

Following this was a preview of their eagerly-anticipated sophomore with the band showcasing a streak of new stunners such as Blue Lagoon, On The Run and a song “about the most miserable bastard you can imagine” called Hold Out Your Hands. All promised what we loved from Privileged Woes; effortless allure and cool-as-hell smoothness.

Throughout the night the crowd seemed restless and failed to abide by customary concert etiquette, prompting Gow to jest during Tenderness that the crowd should listen more because this will be on the quiz. Despite the reprimands and shooshes from fellow audience members, a rude murmur remained even during Eliza Lam’s Doldrums moving vocal solo. Gow, visibly annoyed at the under-appreciation, handled the situation well, pushing on through the uncouth hecklers but the unfortunate tension tainted the performance.

The 7 inch reason why we were all there closed the night in a fitting manner with Keith St proving to be one of Oh Mercy’s most potent pick-up lines in their seductive repertoire. Despite a generous set, the absence of lead single Get You Back was sorely missed and you have to wonder whether it was omitted due to the audience’s poor behaviour. A cruel punishment indeed.

With music as attractive and charismatic as this, my expectations were rather high and the performance, although enjoyable, was not as memorable as desired. This take-it-or-leave-it neutrality might have been the crowds fault rather than the bands shortcomings.

Check out the photos from the gig