Maxïmo Park - 7 December 2005 - Hammersmith Palais, London

Well, what a year it’s been for Maxïmo Park. From not-even-relative obscurity to headlining the Palais in 12 kerr-azy months, while cooking up a storm at Glastonbury and Reading and stealing the show when supporting Kaiser Chiefs, not to mention the Mercury Music Prize nomination. Tonight’s all about recognising how far they’ve come, and how much more they’ve got to give.

First up, though, is Clor – a band for the iPod generation – five songs are about enough at this early stage of their career but, my, what five songs. It’s a veritable trip down 80s memory lane, with choppy, synth numbers a-go-go. A word of warning, though, gentlemen: offering the keyboard player’s hand in marriage to the first dancer of the night will only work so many times – one hopes.

And so, enter Maxïmo Park, with Paul Smith resplendent in a charcoal grey two-piece and tie. If Bono is the Vic Reeves of frontmen, then pray welcome to the new Bob Mortimer. After opener ‘Signal and Sign,’ he’s already knackered, panting his thanks to a receptive audience.

Many bands are wary, almost reluctant, to play in London, particularly if they’re from the provinces. This Newcastle-based band, however, are clearly thrilled to be here, with Smith dedicating ‘The Coast is Always Changing’ to “the mythical place that is London”. Complementing Smith’s scissor kicks and star jumps, meanwhile, is keyboardist Lukas Wooler, throwing so many hand shapes the deaf must be having a field day.

Between songs, the band appear humble to the point of embarrassment at the manner in which the crowd take them to their hearts. But when they’re heads-down ROCKIN’, they seem so angry. With tracks like ‘I Want You To Leave’ to spit out, let’s just hope there are others out there writing tunes of alienation and despair. Otherwise, you’ll only be seeing shows like this in arenas for several years to come. They even get a sea of slow hand-claps during their Pulp-like ‘Acrobat’.

As the show winds up, Smith thanks us again and again for the year they’ve had. He’s still so thrilled by the whole thing, he has to be almost dragged from the stage at the end, he’s having so much fun. “We’ve got nothing else,” he says by way of goodbye. Somehow, I doubt it.