Everything Everything @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

On record, praise has soared for Everything Everything and it’s easy to see why. The flamboyant falsettos, the sharp, slick sounds, the flourishing riffs have given them a sound they can truly call their own. All this you would imagine could give scope to plenty of pomp and theatrics on stage – but sadly, somehow there seems to be a shortfall.

That’s not to say the band aren’t skilled musicians. It’s clear why they earned their Ivor Novello award for ‘MY KZ UR BF’. Arriving on stage in matching boiler suits with erratic lighting, the set up is minimal and stage banter virtually non-existent. The band are tightly fixed to their instruments, the focus tonight, of course, is what initially set them apart – distinct falsetto which lead singer Jonathan Higgs mightily sustains and controls throughout the set.

On the low frequency numbers like ‘Schoolin’ and ‘Final Form’ Higgs’ vocals are mesmerizing, holding the crowd in a soft lull of Everything Everything’s knack for lyrical storytelling. Every so often the lull is broken, not quite jolted to life but rattled by the thumping beats of tracks like ‘Suffragette Suffragette’ which are full throttle, high velocity riffage.

The mix of these softer songs with the pop-hook laden tracks give the set a rollicking feel – not too raucous and beer-swilling – and allows the audience plenty of opportunity to take in the intricacies of the Man Alive album. But for a live show, some pageantry and self-indulgence wouldn’t have gone amiss.